Game of Blades
by DarkNovelist1217
Summary: 48 blade wielding characters from various media are brought together to fight in a tournament. The winner of this tournament will be forever known as the true master of blades, and will be granted their personal desire. Who will win? A hero, a villain, or someone who's somewhere in between? Part 1 of what I've decided to call the "Blademaster" saga.
1. Chapter 1

**Game of Blades**

**Chapter 1: Gathering of Champions**

**Unknown Location**

Somewhere, a long way from any known space, a series of monitors were running simultaneously in a dimly lit room. A man stood in front of the small screens, scanning the images they displayed. On one monitor, a yellow and a blue ninja were engaged in a fierce battle. On another screen, an otherworldly hunter was admiring the skull of a beast it had recently killed. The man switched his gaze to a pair of monitors to his left. On one of the screens, a small girl was eating ramen noodles at an abnormally fast rate. On the other, an orange haired teen with a large sword was battling with a giant skull-faced monster.

"Yes, this should do just fine." the man said. "Now, it's about time I got started." the man smiled wickedly as he left the room.

* * *

**Fuuka Academy Dormitory**

"Mikoto, slow down! You'll choke if you eat that fast!" said Mai.

"But Mai, your ramen is the best! It tastes so good that I just can't help myself." replied the young girl.

Mikoto was 14 years old (though she looked younger), had short black hair with two braided ponytails that hung over her shoulders, and yellow cat like eyes.

"Seconds please!" she asked, holding out her bowl.

Mai let out a sigh. "Alright, but make sure you take your time eating it." she turned around and scooped ramen into the empty bowl. Shaking her head, she turned back towards Mikoto. "Well, here you g- Mikoto?"

The younger girl was gone.

"Mikoto?"

* * *

**Karakura Town, the same time…**

"Whew! That's gotta be the 30th hollow I've fought today." said Ichigo.

Ichigo was 17 years old, had spiky orange hair, brown eyes, and was wearing his black soul reaper uniform. In his hand he held Zangetsu, his zanpakutou.

A female soul reaper with dark hair stood nearby, staring down at a cell phone. "Well you can't take a break just yet, I'm picking up 3 more hollows not far from here." she said.

"Already? Oh well. Lead the way, Rukia. The sooner we get done the sooner I can-" Ichigo was cut off by a sudden whooshing sound.

"What was that? I didn't hear that last part, Ichigo." Rukia looked up from her cell phone. Ichigo was nowhere to be found. "Ichigo?"

* * *

**Unknown Location, shortly after…**

_Where am I?_ Ichigo thought. He was standing on what felt like a metal floor. Everything around him was pitch black. Then suddenly, a bright light illuminated his surroundings.

"What the hell?!" he said.

He was standing in what appeared to be a gigantic roofed arena. In the center of the arena was a large mound of stone. A crowd of unfamiliar people stood around him, looking about in confusion. _Okay, so I'm not the only one who's confused here._

"Iiiiiiichigoooooooo!" yelled a high pitched voice from somewhere nearby. It sounded oddly familiar to him.

Ichigo turned toward the voice, only to have his face wedged in between two large lumps. A pair of incredibly strong arms began to squeeze the life out of him.

"N-Nel?!" he managed to get out.

"Ichigooooo! I never thought I'd see you again!" replied the busty woman hugging him.

"That's great Nel…could you…please…let go…of me…now?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Nel released him.

As Ichigo gasped for breath, he noticed something odd. Aside from the fact that she was somehow in her original form again, Nel had a strange weapon at her side in place of her sword.

"Hey Nel, what's that? And where are we?"

"This thing? I think it's some kind of shuriken, even though I've never seen one this big before. As for where we are…" she paused for a moment. Then in an even more childish voice than usual, cheerfully said "I have absolutely no idea. Hey, what happened to your zanpakutou?"

Ichigo looked over to his right hand. A pitch black sword with red cloth around it's hilt had replaced his sword.

"What the? This isn't Zangetsu!"

Before he could ask any further questions, a strange flashing light appeared at the top of the mound of stone in the center of the arena. After a moment, the light vanished, leaving a lone figure behind. It was a man with short dark hair and blue eyes, dressed in pale blue armor. The man's eyes scanned the crowd of people and creatures below him. Satisfied with what he saw, he smiled.

"Welcome, great warriors." he said.

The crowd stared up at him in confusion. Then questions erupted from everywhere at once.

"What's going on here?" asked a knight with long black hair and black armor.

"Where the hell are we?" asked a woman wearing a white coat and pants.

"Who are you?" asked a short blonde kid wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"Grrrrrr…." growled a tall grey-skinned figure.

"Now, now, settle down. I'll explain everything once you're all quiet." said the man atop the stone.

The room fell silent.

"That's better. I'm aware that you all have many questions, so I will do my best to answer them. Now, where shall I start?"

Someone in the crowd raised their hand.

"Yes, Gourry Gabriev?"

"Uh, yeah. Two questions: how do you know my name, and where are we exactly?" asked the man called Gourry.

"Good questions. I know your name and everyone else's because I have watched you all for a long time. As I'm sure you can see, you're standing in a gladiator's arena. We are currently in a dimensional rift where the only thing aside from this building is the vacuum of time and space. Next?"

"How did we get here? Have we been summoned by the holy grail again?" asked a blonde woman in armor.

"No Art-"

The woman gave him a stern look.

"(ahem) No, Saber, the holy grail is still destroyed. I am the one who brought you and everyone else here."

"For what purpose have you stolen us from our homes?" asked a woman in a skimpy blue outfit.

"Princess Kitana, you of all people should have realized that by now."

"You don't mean?" said a young teen with spiky brown hair.

"I do indeed, Sora." then looking around the arena, proclaimed "I have assembled you all here for one purpose: to fight one another."

Murmurs of surprise and confusion went through the crowd.

"Each of you here is a master blade-wielder, be it a sword, axe, spear, or otherwise. I have brought you here in the hopes that a champion will emerge from the ranks. You will all fight in a series of battles, and in the end only one of you will be left standing. The one who emerges from the chaos will be forever known as 'Grand Edgemaster', and will have a personal desire of their choosing fulfilled."

"Any desire, eh? Interesting…" said a short blonde teen with a metal right arm.

"Now, if there are no more questions, I will explain the rules."

No one spoke a word.

"Excellent! Now, it will be a fairly simple tournament. To win a battle, you must kill your opponent. But, only your blade can end the life of another." noticing some hesitation among the crowd, he added "Don't worry, it will not be a true death. When a warrior is beaten, they will simply resume their normal life, and all memories of this tournament will disappear."

He waited for sighs of relief before continuing.

"The tournament will consist of 5 rounds, each round reducing the number of players by half until only 3 of you remain. Those final 3 will duel for the grand prize."

Ichigo tried to do the math. "Let's see…if half are lost each round, and the 5th round has 3, that means there are…"

"48 warriors in all, Mr. Kurosaki." answered the man atop the stone. "To make things interesting, the first 2 rounds will be 2 on 2 team battles."

"Is that so? Well then, how about you and me, Saber?" said a man in golden armor.

"I would sooner die than be your ally, Gilgamesh." Saber answered.

"I'm afraid it's not your choice." said the man on the stone. "You may or may not have noticed, but the weapon in your hands is not your own. Whoever has your blade is the one you will fight alongside. Find your allies, and when you are all finished I shall continue."

The crowd began to shift as the combatants searched for their teammates. Ichigo walked through the large crowd and some many strange characters, some of which were most likely not human. Then he came across someone he had thought to be long dead. A frown formed on his face as he spoke his name.

"Grimmjow."

The number 6 espada turned towards him. "Heh, I was wondering where you were. You and I have a score to settle, soul reaper."

"Maybe you'll get that chance, if you survive long enough."

"Survive? Ha! I'll tear these fools apart!"

"Good luck with that. Now, I need to find whoever owns this sword."

"Hey! You'd better not die before we fight! Ichigo!" the arrancar called as he walked away.

Ichigo continued to search the crowd, but there was no sign of Zangetsu. Just as he was about to give up, he heard someone running toward him.

"Miroku!" said a moderately high pitched voice.

Ichigo turned around just in time to see a small girl leap at him like a feral cat, pinning him to the ground. Zangetsu was slung across her back.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Ichigo said, realizing his situation. "Is this your sword?" he extended the hilt toward the girl.

The girl snatched the sword from his hand and began to cradle it like it was a newborn.

"Aw! Looks like you got the hottest guy here, Mikoto. I'm so jealous!" a woman with wild red hair tied in a ponytail said jokingly from behind the girl. "Hey, are you gonna give him his sword back or what?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." said Mikoto. The small girl held Zangetsu out to Ichigo.

"Thanks, I don't know where I'd be without Zangetsu." he said, taking the large sword. "It looks like you and I are partners." he held out his hand toward the young girl. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

The girl took his hand and shook it. "Mikoto Minagi."

"Alrighty, now I just need to find whoever this belongs to." said the red haired woman. She held up a strange looking sword with twin forward pointing blades. "It looks more suited for punching than for actual swordplay."

"That is because it was made for a warrior of Sanghelios, not a human." said a deep, commanding voice.

The redhead turned around to see a large humanoid creature with hooves for feet and four jaws lined with razor like teeth. In its four-fingered hand was a strange looking halberd.

"I believe this is yours?" said the creature.

"Sure is! This must be your sword, then?"

"Correct. It would seem you and I are allies."

"Looks like it. I'm Midori, Midori Sugiura!"

"You may call me Arbiter."

"Arbiter? Nah, too formal. How about I call you Arby instead?"

"I would prefer you do not."

"Arby it is then!"

"...(facepalm)."

"It appears that you have all found your teammates. If that is so, I shall continue with the rules." the man on the stone said. "The battles will take place in the worlds you call home. One month shall pass before the first round takes place. For now, you may return to your worlds and train with your allies. I shall instruct you further when one month has passed. Now, you may go."

With a wave of his hand, the crowd disappeared. The man then turned his attention to a panel on one of the walls of the arena.

"Let the names of the chosen be inscribed in history." Waving his hand, a list of names began to form on the panel.

The names of those 48 are:

Ichigo Kurosaki

Grimmjow Jaegerjaques

Kenpachi Zaraki

Neliel tu Odelschwanck (Bleach)

Siegfried Schtauffen

Nightmare (SCIV)

Miyu Greer

Mikoto Minagi

Midori Sugiura

Akira Okuzaki (Mai-HiME)

Zuko (Last Airbender)

Saber

Archer

Berserker

Gilgamesh (Fate Stay Night)

Predator (Predator)

Alien (Alien)

The Arbiter (Halo)

Gandalf the White

Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)

Scorpion

Sub-Zero

Cyrax

Kitana (Mortal Kombat)

Link (Legend of Zelda)

Black Gold Saw

Dead Master

Black Rock Shooter (Black Rock Shooter)

Gourry Gabriev

Zelgadis Greywords

Valgaav (Slayers)

Clare (Claymore)

Ashram (Lodoss War)

Raidriar (Infinity Blade)

Drizzt Do' Urden (Forgotten Realms)

Alexander Anderson (Hellsing)

Sephiroth

Cloud Strife

Sora (Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy7)

War (Darksiders)

Rex Owen (Dinosaur Hearts version, borrowed with Ekkuesuteria's permission)

Fuhrer Bradley

Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Hilda

Aoi Kunieda (Beelzebub)

Sayuri (Best Student Council)

Skarin (Viking: Battle for Asgard)

Skorge (Gears of War 2)

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! DarkNovelist here. I'm excited to finally start this story. It took a while to come up with all 48 fighters, since there's so many to choose from. If you don't recognize some of these characters or the games/anime/movies/books they're from, check them out. There's lots of cool stuff out there. As always, please review and enjoy! DarkNovelist out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Strange Allies**

* * *

**Fuuka Academy**

* * *

"Sugiura, are you sure about this?" asked the Arbiter.

He and Midori were standing in the woods surrounding the Fuuka Academy Dormitories. The red haired woman looked up at the elite and smiled.

"Of course! You'll fit right in with our little band of misfits!"

"But the people of your world have never seen a Sanghelli before, won't my sudden appearance frighten them? I'd prefer to not start another war with humanity."

"Oh relax, would you? Things like you are a common sight around here. Now, can we go meet the other Hime?"

"(sigh) It seems there is no arguing with you. Very well, let's go."

Within moments, they arrived at the door to Mai, Natsuki, Mikoto, and Tate's room. Midori knocked on the door a few times.

"Who is it?" came a grumpy voice from inside.

"It's Midori, open up. I've brought a guest with me."

"A guest?" said a more calm voice.

The door opened to allow them entry. Stepping inside, the Arbiter observed the room's occupants. There was a girl with a large bust and orangish-red hair, a girl wearing a leather biker outfit with dark hair, and a man with short blonde-brown hair. All three of them stared at him in surprise. Standing up straight, he held up his hand in greeting.

"Greetings, I am the Arbiter. Are you the Hime Sugiura spoke of?"

In response, Mai and Natsuki summoned their elements, and Tate took out his wooden sword. They all aimed their weapons at the Arbiter.

"I'll fit right in, huh?" he said glaring at Midori.

The red haired woman chuckled nervously while she tried to get everyone to calm down. After explaining the situation, the others put away their weapons.

"So that's why Mikoto disappeared so suddenly, she's in the tournament as well." said Mai.

Midori nodded. "Yep, and I'm pretty sure I saw Akira and Miyu as well."

"So where is the little bottomless stomach now?" asked Natsuki.

"Probably with Ichigo, her teammate. Don't worry, he didn't strike me as a bad guy, so I'm sure Mikoto's fine."

"As long as he can keep up with her appetite." mumbled Tate.

Everyone but the Arbiter laughed a bit at this. The elite simply stared in confusion.

"Is this person you speak of, this Mikoto, always as hungry as you say?" he asked.

"She sure is. It's a real challenge trying to keep her fed sometimes." answered Mai.

"Anyway, the reason I brought Arby here-" Midori started.

"I said not to call me that."

"-was so I could find him a place to stay. Since Mikoto's gonna be gone for a while, you won't mind if he stays with you guys, right?"

"What?!" Tate, Mai, and Natsuki said at once.

"Why can't he stay at your place?" asked Natsuki.

"Are you kidding? I don't have room for another person, with all my stuff taking up so much room."

"B-But he's a freaking alien! No offense, Arbiter."

"None taken." _Racist._

"We don't know what he eats, what kind of environment he needs, what kind of habits he has…"

"I live a similar lifestyle to humans, especially like the ones in this country. I will be training most of the day, so I'll mainly be around during evenings. As for food, I will accept whatever you offer."

"What if people notice you?"

"There is a camouflage device in my armor that renders me invisible."

"Well, when you put it that way…" started Mai.

"Then it's settled! Arby will spend his nights here until further notice." Midori declared.

Instead of complaining, the Arbiter simply sighed as Midori left the room.

* * *

**Resembool, Rockbell Household**

* * *

Winry Rockbell stood leaning on the sill of her bedroom window, looking out across the plains of Resembool. On the ground below, a suit of armor sat on the porch of the house.

"See anything, Winry?" came a child's voice from within the armor.

"No Alphonse, I don't see him."

"Oh…okay."

_Where are you Ed? Don't you realize how worried Al and I are?_ Winry thought. The young alchemist had suddenly disappeared a few hours earlier, leaving his younger brother behind. Just as she was about to go inside and take a break, she noticed a pair of silhouettes coming up the road, one shorter than the other. Her eyes widened with joy as she recognized the red coat the shorter figure wore.

"Al! I see him! He's coming!" she said as she ran downstairs.

"Brother!" said the armor, standing up.

Now on the porch beside Al, Winry watched as Ed approached the house with a strange companion. Walking slightly in front of Ed was a girl with milk white skin, black hair that was tied into two ponytails of different lengths, and bright blue eyes. The girl wore a black jacket with white stripes down the arms, no shirt over her bra, very short shorts, and combat boots.

"I'm back!" Edward exclaimed as he stopped in front of Winry and Al.

Winry's eyebrow twitched a bit as she stared at him.

"Uh, Winry?"

"EDWARD ELRIC, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? WHO'S THAT GIRL STANDING NEXT TO YOU? IS SHE YOUR GIRLFRIEND OR SOMETHING? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE ABOUT YOU?" Winry yelled angrily.

"Jeez! Calm down, will ya? I'm sorry for disappearing so suddenly, it's not like I had a choice. Will you calm down so I can explain?"

Winry became silent, but she still kept up her angry look.

"Thank you. I got called into this big tournament thing for blade wielders, probably because I usually make a blade on my wrist when I fight. If I win, I get the title of 'Grand Edgemaster' and can have any personal desire I want granted."

"You mean…" started Alphonse.

"That's right, if I win I can get our bodies back! We won't need to think about the Philosophers Stone anymore!"

"That's great!"

"Okay, that explains where you went, now who's the girl?" asked Winry.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention her. Since there's a lot of people in this tournament, they split us up into pairs for the first couple rounds. She's my teammate."

"Okay then, what's your name Ms. Teammate?"

"Black Rock Shooter." answered the pale girl plainly. There was no trace of emotion as she spoke.

"I just call her Rock. She's not really much of a talker." explained Ed.

"Black Rock Shooter? That doesn't sound like someone who uses a blade." stated Al.

As if in response, a black and white sword suddenly appeared in Rock's hand.

"Uh, forget I said that."

"It's alright if she stays here, right?" Ed asked.

"I don't know, how can I be sure I can trust her?" Winry answered.

"Edward has told me you are a mechanic. If I let you examine this…" a massive black gun suddenly materialized around Rock's right arm. "…will you trust me then?"

Winry's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh my gosh! That's so cool! Yeah, you can stay."

The four of them headed inside, Winry investigating every inch of Rock's gun.

* * *

**Emiya Estate**

* * *

"…and therefore, the two of us have become allies." said Saber.

She was sitting in front of a table, along with a man with short brown hair, a girl with black hair tied in ponytails, a girl with long purple hair, and a short blonde kid. The three older teens looked at each other in confusion for a moment, then the man turned to Saber.

"You said this isn't another holy grail war, right?" he asked.

"Correct, Shiro. It seems that the man in charge of this tournament is supplying me and the other competing Servants with a large supply of mana, so that we may compete."

"Well, it's good to be able to see you again, Saber." Shiro smiled as he said her name.

Saber returned the smile. The dark haired girl rolled her eyes at them.

"Anyway, who are you, kid?" she asked.

"Rex Owen." answered the kid.

"What kind of blade do you use?" asked the purple haired girl.

"It's called the Dinoblade, I got it when I went on one seriously crazy adventure. I'm kind of new with swords, but I've beaten a lot of powerful enemies, so I think I'm relatively skilled."

"Oh really?" said the dark haired girl, smiling fiendishly. She turned her attention to Shiro.

"Tohsaka, are you thinking about what I think you're thinking about?" he asked.

"For once, I think so."

"Oh, are you talking about that?" asked the purple haired girl.

"Yes, Sakura, we are."

"Talking about what?" asked Rex, starting to get nervous.

"Well, we figure that since you're going to be fighting alongside Saber, you and her should have a training match or two. You can show us your skills then."

"Sounds good to me."

"Well, how about it Saber?"

"If it will benefit us in the tournament, I have no objections."

"Okay then! Rex, meet us in the dojo when you're ready."

"Okay..." _Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this._

After they had eaten lunch, they headed over to the dojo. Shiro, Rin (Tohsaka), and Sakura sat down on the side to watch. Rex and Saber stood apart from each other, each with a wooden sword.

"Do not hold back against me. Use any technique you wish." Saber instructed.

"You sure sound confident." said Rex. "However…"

he charged at Saber with great speed. "…can you back up those words?"

Rex swung quickly at Saber, then paused as he suddenly stood behind her. His hands were now empty.

"Wha?" he stuttered.

"That was good, but you have much to learn." Saber said from behind him.

Rex turned around and stared at her in disbelief. Saber had not only her sword, but his as well. He stood there, mouth agape, hearing some quiet laughter from the sidelines.

"Shiro! It is rude to laugh at another's expense." Saber said.

"Sorry, I was enjoying watching you kick someone else's ass for a change."

"(sigh) Rex, shall we continue?"

"Uh, y-yeah."

For the remainder of the day, Rex continued to attack Saber with everything he had. But each time, he would either get disarmed or smacked harshly. Finally, beaten to his knees, he dropped his sword and collapsed, exhausted.

"I assume we are done for today?"

"So…many….bruises….ugh…"

"Just as I thought."

The five of them decided to retire for the day. That night, Rex sat outside the dojo, gazing at some pictures he held in his hand.

"Amu…Zoey…Mayura…" he whispered. "(sigh) but which do I care about more?"

"Having some relationship issues?" said a voice.

Rex turned in surprise. Shiro was standing next to him.

"Dude! Don't startle me like that."

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air. Then I saw you looking at those photos."

"Oh…so, you heard me then?"

"Yep."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Thanks…..hey, Shiro, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You like those three girls, right?"

"Well, uh, yeah. I mean, I've known Sakura for a long time, and Tohsaka is a good friend, and Saber…well, she's saved my ass I don't know how many times."

"Do you…prefer one over the others?"

Shiro paused for a moment. Then smiled and looked up into the night sky.

"I guess I can be honest with you, since you'll be here a while. I love Saber. Since the day I met her, I've loved her. I just didn't fully realize it until the holy grail war was nearly over."

"Does…she love you?"

Shiro closed his eyes. "Yes, she does."

"But, how did you decide?"

Shiro now looked over at Rex. "It's not something you can just decide, you have to figure it out yourself who it is you hold most dear." _Heh, listen to me. I sound like Archer._

Shiro started to walk back toward his house. "Don't worry Rex, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Rex watched him disappear inside the house. He sat there for a few more moments before putting the photos back in his pocket. As he walked toward the house, he pondered over Shiro's words. _Maybe he's right. Maybe when the time comes, I'll know for sure who's most important._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Element and Zanpakuto**

* * *

**Karakura Town, Urahara's Training Grounds**

* * *

_CLANG!_

Ichigo blocked the strike within an inch of his head. Shoving Mikoto's sword off his own, he swung at the young HiME. Mikoto spun around the swing and countered with a lightning fast upward slash. Ichigo flash stepped back, then checked his wrist. He stopped where he stood and lowered Zangetsu.

"Alright Mikoto, that's enough for a bit. Lunch should be here soon." he said. He sat down on a nearby rock and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The young girl's eyes went wide with joy. "Okay!" she said as she sat down next to him.

They had been training everyday for the past 4 weeks. It was only one day until the first round of the tournament began. Ichigo had to admit, even though Mikoto was only a small girl, she was undoubtedly as strong as a Soul Reaper lieutenant, maybe even at the same level as a captain. Just what was a HiME?

"Hey Mikoto, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"You told me before that you're something called a HiME, right? Could you explain to me what that is exactly?"

"Hmm…how to describe it…I know! How about this: HiME are girls who are born with the power to materialize special weaponry called 'Element', which we use to fight creatures known as 'Orphans'."

"Orphans?"

"Mm-hm! Orphans are creatures that could have become a 'Child', a creature that fights alongside a HiME, but were incompatible with us. Childs are like living forms of Element, but in order to use them, a HiME has to find somebody or something called a 'Key'."

"Huh. It sounds to me like HiME are an all-female group of Soul Reapers. These Orphans you talked about sound a lot like Hollows, they're souls that became lost and empty, so they attack and eat people to fill their emptiness. I'm going to assume that sword you've got is your 'Element'?"

"Yup! This is Miroku."

"Okay, do you have a 'Child' as well?"

"No." Mikoto's expression had suddenly become serious. "I don't have a key, so I can't bring out a Child."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I have Miroku, so I don't need a Child."

They sat in silence for a moment before a voice cried out.

"Kurosaki-kun!" it was a girl.

Ichigo and Mikoto turned towards the newcomer. It was a girl around the same age as Ichigo, with waist length orange hair, a large bust, and grey eyes. She was smiling as she walked up to them, carrying a basket.

"Oh, Inoue. We were wondering when you'd get here." said Ichigo.

"It's other-Mai!" Mikoto yelled happily as she jumped on Inoue.

"Mikoto, I've told you before. My name's Orihime Inoue, not Mai."

"But your chest is so big, and your food is so good! Just like Mai's!" Mikoto objected, hugging the older girl tightly.

"Sorry about making bring us lunch everyday, Inoue." Ichigo said, coming down from the rock.

"Oh, it's no problem. I'm glad to help you in anyway I can." she said with a smile.

"So what'd you bring us today?" asked Mikoto.

"Oh! I'm glad you asked. Since tomorrow is the first round, I thought I'd make you something special."

Inoue reached inside the basket, pulled out a covered bowl, and handed it to Mikoto. Curious and hungry, Mikoto took off the cover, and her eyes began to glow with excitement at the sight of the food.

"It's ramen noodles with anchovies and chocolate sauce. I hope you like it!"

(Note: for those who don't watch Bleach, Inoue makes weird meals all the time.)

Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, Mikoto dug into the food like a starved animal. The three of them sat eating their lunches for a while. While Mikoto was digging into her second bowl, someone new approached the three.

"Are you all enjoying yourselves?" asked a man's voice.

Walking towards the group was a man wearing a long green coat, a white and green striped hat, a robe, and sandals.

"Did you come to eat lunch as well, Mr. Urahara?" asked Inoue.

"Nope, sorry, I already ate." the man said cheerfully. "I came to see how Ichigo and Mikoto's training was coming along."

"We're doing pretty good, I think we're ready for pretty much anything." Ichigo declared arrogantly.

"Oh? Well have you practiced using your Getsugatensho? Can Mikoto withstand it?"

"…come to think of it, I haven't tried it out on her."

"You said Grimmjow was involved didn't you? Your partner isn't going to be of much use to you if she can't take a hit like Getsugatensho or Cero. I don't mean to belittle your skills in any way, Mikoto."

The young girl was just finishing her second bowl. Done, she put down the bowl and looked up at Ichigo and Urahara.

"I heard something about whether or not I could stand up to something. Are you going to hit me with something powerful this time?" she asked.

"I don't know, it's pretty strong. I don't want to seriously hurt you, and I'm not sure how you'd do against it." Ichigo said.

"Kurosaki, it's ok. If she gets hurt, I'll just heal her." Inoue stated.

"(sigh) alright, get over there Mikoto. I don't want to cause any unnecessary damage."

The young girl picked up her sword and stood about 30 feet away from the others. Ichigo stood up and pointed his sword at her. He closed his eyes and focused. Energy began to swirl around Zangetsu. After a minute of charging, he opened his eyes.

"Getsuga…" he raised his sword above his head. "…Tensho!"

Bringing down his sword, a massive wave of energy flew at Mikoto. The young girl didn't move from her spot as the massive blast crashed into her, causing an explosion. As dust began to rise, Ichigo became worried. _Oh no, did she survive that? I didn't use my hollow mask, so it wasn't at it's strongest, but still…_ The dust began to clear, revealing the result of his attack. Mikoto stood in the same spot, with Miroku in a defensive position. Aside from a few light bruises, she was unharmed.

"Was that it, Ichigo?" she asked.

Ichigo stood there, speechless. He had seen others come out in the same condition after being hit, but they were either captains or espada, and adults at that. And yet this 14 year old girl had taken it like it was nothing. Just how strong is she?

"Was that your strongest attack?" she asked him.

"Huh? Oh, no, that wasn't my most powerful attack. It was still pretty powerful though, I'm surprised you're so lightly injured."

"Ok. Hey, since you tested a move out on me, can I test out my most powerful attack on you?" she asked innocently.

"Um, sure. Just a moment."

Ichigo walked to where he was sure no one would be caught in whatever Mikoto was about to do.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Mikoto nodded. She planted her feet firmly on the ground. Raising her sword toward the sky, a serious look spread across her face.

"MIROKU!" she yelled.

An intense atmosphere swept over everything in the training grounds as a menacing pair of eyes appeared on the element. A great amount of energy swirled around Mikoto, and her sword began t change. A pillar of light that seemed to stretch all the way to the ceiling erupted from her, and symbols began to form within it. Ichigo stared in confusion and shock at the sight before him. Mikoto now held a much longer handle in her hands, and the blade it connected to was the enormous pillar of light and energy.

"TOSOTSUKEN!" yelled the HiME.

With a yell, Mikoto swung the gigantic sword downward at Ichigo. The Soul Reaper held his zanpakuto in defense, hoping to not be destroyed by the immense power. The giant blade veered off to the side slightly, just barely missing him. After exerting its energy, it returned to its original state. Shaking slightly, Ichigo glanced over to where the sword had landed. A giant crevice had formed where the blade had impacted, and even the ceiling had a long gash in it. That demolished stretch of land had almost been him.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if you'd survive that or not, so I moved it a bit." Mikoto said, as if nothing had happened.

_She missed…on purpose?!_ Ichigo thought, still staring at the destruction.

"Well, Mikoto, I'd say you've earned our respect. There's no more reason to doubt your combat ability." Urahara said. He left them while thinking about how long it would take to clean up the mess.

Inoue nodded in agreement, still in shock at what she'd just witnessed.

"Ichigo, are you alright? You look funny." Mikoto asked.

"Uh…uh…yeah…I'm fine…" he stuttered.

"That's good. I wouldn't want to lose my partner before the tournament started."

Brushing off dust that had risen from the attack, Mikoto walked over to where Inoue was standing. Picking up her lunch bowl, she held it out and put on a big smile.

"More please!" she said cheerfully.

* * *

**The Next Day…**

* * *

Ichigo and Mikoto stood at the edge of the river that ran through Karakura Town, waiting to be called for the first round. Inoue and Rukia had come to see them off.

"Do your best, Ichigo. Show them what a Soul Reaper is made of!" said Rukia.

"Mikoto, I'll have more of that ramen from yesterday waiting, so make sure you come back!" said Inoue.

"You bet!" declared Mikoto.

And with that, the two powerful warriors disappeared in a flash of light. Rukia noticed a worried look on Inoue's face as they headed away from the river.

"Don't worry, they'll do fine. If what you told me is true, there's no way those two will lose." she said, trying to cheer up Inoue.

The orange haired girl looked over at Rukia and smiled. "You're right. I've believed in Kurosaki this long, so I can't start worrying now."

_Still, Kurosaki said that only the first two rounds would be team battles. If it's every one for themselves after that, what will happen if he has to face Mikoto?_

* * *

**Coliseum, Moments Afterward…**

* * *

"Welcome back, great warriors!" declared the man in charge of the tournament. He was standing atop the stone in the center of the coliseum again. "It looks like everyone is here, so when you are all silent, I will explain the rules of combat."

The crowd of warriors waited for his instructions.

"Good. Now then, like I said before the rules are fairly simple: to win you must deliver a fatal blow to your opponents, and only your blade can deliver the final blow. Non-blade weapons such as firearms, magic, or various ranged attack methods are allowed. Combatants who normally have a regeneration ability, such as healing, will have said ability reduced to half it's normal potency. This way there will be a…moderate level of fairness. Any questions?"

No one said a word.

"Excellent! In a few minutes your battles will begin. The arena could be in any of the worlds that house a combatant, so be prepared for the unexpected. You may talk amongst yourselves until you are transported. Good luck!"

Various groups began talking within the crowd. Insults were thrown, and all manner of foul language was spoken.

"Yeesh, what a bunch of little kids." Ichigo said.

"At least we can get along." added Mikoto.

And so time passed, until the man atop the stone spoke again.

"Now, the time has come. Prepare yourselves! The first round of the tournament begins…NOW!"

In a flash of light, the crowd disappeared.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

* * *

After the light cleared, Ichigo found himself standing on the roof of a medium sized building. Looking around, he saw Mikoto standing next to him, glaring at something in front of them. Ichigo followed her gaze.

"So, we meet again, HiME." said a metallic female voice.

"You are our opponents? Very well, then. I shall test your strength." said a somewhat motherly voice.

Standing in front of Ichigo and Mikoto were a blonde woman dressed in a pitch black maid's outfit who held a pink umbrella, and a silver haired woman wearing a blue and black combat dress with a sword in place of her right arm.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: First Round (Part 1)**

* * *

**Ishiyama High (Roof)**

* * *

"Miyu…" growled Mikoto. The silver haired woman with a sword arm glared at the young HiME.

"I take it you two aren't friends?" asked Ichigo.

"She's an android with some kind of special weapon. Her sword weakens my element. I think it'd be better if you went up against her."

"Alright. Be careful, I don't know what the other one is capable of."

Mikoto nodded and switched places with Ichigo.

"You send a child to face me? In that case, she must be strong." said the blonde maid with the umbrella. Gripping the hilt of her umbrella, she drew a sword from within its shaft. "I am Hildegard. If you wish, you may call me Hilda. Who are you, child?"

"Mikoto Minagi." Mikoto readied her sword as she spoke her name.

"Well then, Mikoto, shall we begin?"

Hilda and Mikoto rushed towards each other each with a look of killer intent. Both swung at the same time, causing their blades to become locked. Being older and taller, Hilda pressed her sword down towards the small girl. To her surprise, Mikoto pushed back with equal force. Hilda watched with confusion as the HiME cocked her head back and slammed it into her exposed face. Stunned, Hilda stepped back a few feet. She felt something hot and wet run across her face.

"Ugh! Not bad." she said, wiping the blood from her face. "This will definitely be interesting."

* * *

**Amestris, Central City**

* * *

_SWISH!_

Edward Elric barely managed to duck under the slash. He countered the attack by taking a swipe at the man in front of him. The man simply stood there as the small blade bounced off him. Ed leapt back to regain his footing.

"What the hell? Are you made of rock or something?" Ed asked.

The man smiled arrogantly. "Actually, yes, I'm part rock golem(and wind demon). I'm more of a chimera than a human. You'll have to do better than that if you're going to hurt me."

The man had silver hair and pale blue skin littered with pebbles. He wore a pale tan cloak, shirt, and pants, and held a double-edged longsword.

"Okay then. Before I kick your ass, can I ask your name?"

"It's Zelgadis, and the only ass about to be kicked here is yours!"

Zelgadis swung out with his sword. Ed dodged it and rushed towards the chimera. Before he could try another attack, Zelgadis jumped back and held out his free hand.

"Fireball!" he shouted.

An orb of flame burst from his hand towards Ed. In response, Ed clapped his palms together and put them against the ground. A protective wall of earth rose in front of him. The fiery orb crashed into the wall, exploding on impact.

"Oh, so you're a sorcerer as well." said Zelgadis.

Ed hopped over what was left of his earth wall. "That wasn't sorcery, that was alchemy. And be careful with those things, this is a heavily populated city."

"Puh, since when was collateral damage any of my concern?" Zelgadis readied his sword for another attack.

_Damn. I hope Rock's doing okay, considering who her opponent is ._ Ed thought as he charged at Zelgadis again.

On the rooftops, not far away, Black Rock Shooter was firing nonstop at a tall man wearing a military uniform and an eye-patch. The man quickly closed the distance between himself and the pale girl. He swung down at her with dual blades. Rock blocked the strikes with her cannon and countered with an upward kick. The blow struck the man square in his face, sending him flying back. The man quickly stood up and shook off the attack.

"Impressive reflexes. It seems you won't be an easy kill." he said.

BRS remained silent.

"Not much of a talker, I see. Alright then, let your skills do the talking."

The man charged toward BRS with incredible speed, much too fast to be hit by her gun. Moments before he reached her, she discarded her gun and summoned a sword to her hand. Unsurprised by the sudden change in his opponent, the man continued his advance. He thrust his swords forward in an attempt to impale the girl, only to strike air instead. He realized a moment too late that BRS was now above him, swinging down her sword. He tried to turn and block the strike, but in doing so caused Rock's sword to slice across his face. Cringing with pain, he leapt back.

"It seems I underestimated you." he said. "However…"

The man's eye patch fell to the ground, revealing the uroboros mark in his right eye.

"…I am far from beaten."

BRS simply walked toward him, sword at the ready.

The homunculus dashed passed her, this time landing a hit. He looked over his shoulder to see blue/black blood burst from his opponent. Standing up, he sheathed his swords and looked out at the city.

"I must say, I was pleased with our duel. If you weren't so physically weak, you might have been able to beat me."

He was about to walk away, when he heard the sound of some strange device powering up. Surprised, he turned around in time to receive the full force of Rock's cannon. The homunculus fell toward the ground below, trying to regain some form of balance. As he did so, he noticed BRS diving down at him, sword first. He tried to draw his swords and meet the blow, but it was too late. He felt cold steel penetrate his forehead as his body crashed into the ground. BRS continued to stab the man, as a pool of crimson slowly spread around them.

* * *

**Hollow Bastion**

* * *

Rex looked around at his and Saber's surroundings. He was inside what looked like an old castle. Memories came flooding into his head as he realized where they were.

"I know this place. This is Hollow Bastion." he thought out loud.

"That's right. This is where we fought Maleficent." said a familiar voice.

Rex and Saber turned toward the sound. Standing at the top of a flight of stairs was a brown haired boy and a man whose features were hidden by gold and black armor. The man's helmet was in the shape of a faceless crown. The boy had what looked like a giant key slung over his shoulder.

"Sora!" exclaimed Rex.

"Hey, Rex. What are the odds we'd end up like this?" said the boy.

"That bastard…the guy in charge must be behind this."

"So, you are Rex. This annoying mortal has told me about you." said the armored man. His voice seemed distorted, as it echoed slightly.

"You are our opponent, yes? Then may I have my enemy's name?" asked Saber.

"Very well. I am the God King!"

"His name's Raidriar." said Sora.

"Silence mortal!"

"Rex, I sense the one called Raidriar is actually quite skilled. If you do not wish to harm your friend, you can fight him instead. However, I cannot guarantee your safety against him."

Rex thought for a moment. "I don't know…"

"Are you just going to stand there, or are we gonna fight?" Sora said impatiently. He stood up and readied his Keyblade. "Well, Rex? Or are you just a wuss after all?"

Rex tightened his grip on his sword. "Oh that's it. You're going down you little disney shit!"

Sora leapt down and swung at Rex. Rex dodged and lashed out at him in response, cutting a deep gash in Sora's shoulder. Sora yelled angrily and swung at Rex again.

While the former friends fought, Saber walked up the steps toward Raidriar. The armored Deathless walked down to meet her. As they drew close, Saber readied Excalibur, and Raidriar called forth his shield and the Infinity Blade.

"Don't think I'm going to hold back against a wench like you." Raidriar taunted.

"Hmph. You call yourself a king? Prove it to me." Saber countered.

Raidriar angrily leapt forward, striking with first his shield then his sword. Saber side-stepped out of the shield's path and parried the sword. Raidriar then sent a quick series of strikes at the Servant, hoping to catch her off guard with his speed. His plan backfired, as Saber deflected every blow with ease. Wide open, Raidriar raised his shield in defense as Saber thrust at his head. Because there were large gaps in his shield, the block was unsuccessful, and Raidriar let out a grunt of pain as he felt the sword penetrate his shoulder.

"Ngh! Clever. But it's not over yet!" the Deathless said.

Raidriar lashed out with his shield again, this time striking Saber's stomach. Caught by surprise, the Servant fell backwards down the stairs. Saber rubbed her head from the injury before looking up. Raidriar was leaping down at her, his sword swinging in a deadly arc as he descended. Excalibur lay a few feet away from her, knocked away during her fall. Raidriar was inches from her now, so she decided to try something desperate. Waiting until he was almost on top of her, Saber summersaulted backwards, grabbing the Infinity Blade between her feet. Raidriar crashed into the floor behind her. Just as he started to rise…

_SCHINK!_

The Deathless looked down at his chest. Two blades had been driven through him. One was Excalibur, the other was the Infinity Blade.

"Im…possible…(cough)…" he sputtered as he breathed his last.

The God King slumped over, lifeless. In a few years' time, he would return to life. But by then, he would have long forgotten his rage toward the woman who stood victorious behind him.

* * *

**Hunter's Grounds (Predator Game Preserve World)**

* * *

"Rrrrrraaaah!" cried the masked alien creature as it swiped at the Arbiter. The elite ducked under the savage strike, causing it to cut into a nearby tree. Chunks of splintered wood flew as the Predator pulled its arm free. Retracting his wrist blade, the Predator then reached around its back for something. Returning its arm to the front, a small rod with spearheads on either end now occupied its hand. The Arbiter readied his sword as the rod suddenly extended into a dual ended spear.

"A spear? Very well, show me your skill!" the Arbiter roared.

"Raaaaah!" responded the Predator.

The masked hunter spun around his spear, nearly severing the Arbiter with each pass. The Arbiter lunged forward with his sword. The Predator managed to stop it just in front of his helmet. The Arbiter quickly pushed his blade forward, knocking the mask off of his opponent. The unmasked hunter glared with angry yellow reptilian eyes at the elite. The Arbiter was surprised to find that the creature before him also had four mandibles alongside its mouth, and dreadlock like tendrils hung from the back of its head.

"Hey, is he a cousin of yours or something?" asked Midori, who was fighting her own battle nearby.

"I've never seen something like him before in my life." said the Arbiter, dodging a swing from the Predator's spear.

In an effort to gain an opening, the Arbiter delivered an upward kick in the middle of his opponent's attack. The Predator went wide eyed as he fell to his knees, grabbing his crotch.

"Ouch, right in his extraterresticles!" joked Midori.

"Focus on our battle!" said Midori's opponent. He was a helmetless knight in black armor.

"What was your name again?"

"Ashram, Knight of Marmo."

"Don't be such a buzzkill, Ashram."

The dark knight yelled in rage as he swung at the playful HiME. Midori easily blocked the attack and delivered a sweeping strike at his legs, knocking the knight on his back. The Arbiter rolled his eyes as he turned back to his own opponent. The Predator had gotten back to its feet and was ready to continue. The hunter alien was covered in cuts and bruises the Arbiter had inflicted.

"I warn you, you will not be able to defeat in your current condition. Surrender now, the battle is mine." stated the Arbiter.

Ignoring his words, the Predator roared furiously and charged at him. With one movement, the Arbiter stepped to the side and swung. The Predator stopped behind him. Neon green blood dripped from the Arbiter's sword as he heard his opponents head fall to the ground with a thud.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: First Round (Part 2)**

* * *

**Ishiyama High (Roof)**

* * *

_SCHINK!_

Miyu dashed back to recover. Ichigo had managed to stab her left eye, nearly disabling her. However, just as the android was littered with injuries, so too was the soul reaper in front of her. Due to her precision, she landed a hit nearly every time she attacked Ichigo. A steady stream of blood was going down his face, and gashes had been made in several other places on his body.

"You fight well." said Miyu. "It seems we have both entered a critical state. We should end this battle soon."

"My thoughts exactly." stated Ichigo. He glanced away from the android for a moment. "It looks like our teammates are just about done themselves."

Not far away, Mikoto and Hilda were weaving around each other in an endless exchange of blows. They both looked to be nearing their limit. _You can do it Mikoto, kick her ass._ Ichigo thought as he turned back to Miyu.

"This ends now. One more attack." Ichigo proposed.

"I agree." Miyu stated.

Ichigo gripped Zangetsu with both hands. Power began to surge along the large blade. In response, Miyu's sword turned to a shining gold. Energy swarmed around the two warriors, threatening to tear the school apart.

"Getsuga…" started Ichigo, raising his sword.

"Artemis, the golden sword…" began Miyu, pulling her sword back.

"…Tensho!" Ichigo sent forth a wave of power.

"….Mission Start!" Miyu dashed forward.

The blast and the android collided into each other, causing an explosion of energy. When the dust settled, Miyu stood in front of Ichigo, the tip of her sword inches from his face.

"Well…done…" whispered the android.

Miyu collapsed to Ichigo's feet, now offline. Ichigo looked over to where Mikoto and Hilda where fighting. The demon maid and the HiME were standing opposite each other, both covered in injuries. Hilda readied her sword in preparation for another attack. Mikoto did the same. Hilda shook for a moment before attacking. However, she ended up falling to her feet instead. The maid shivered once where she lay, then was still.

"The battle has ended." came the voice of the man in charge. "The winning team is Ichigo Kurosaki and Mikoto Minagi."

The victorious pair gave each other a look of praise. Then, they disappeared back to the coliseum, to wait for the remaining battles to end.

* * *

**Amestris, Central City**

* * *

Edward Elric rolled off to the side as another fireball flew past him. Zelgadis walked towards him, sword at the ready. Ed exhaled heavily as he watched the chimera approach. _Dammit, we've been at this for a good 20 minutes and I've barely scratched him! If I can get close enough to him, I might be able use alchemy to turn the odds in my favor._

"Hey! Why don't you stop using your cheap magic tricks and fight me with that sword of yours? Isn't that the point of this tournament?" Ed asked.

"Humph, true. However, I only need to finish you with my sword, I can use anything else I want to weaken you first. Am I wrong?" responded Zelgadis.

"I suppose not, but I'll make you a deal: if I stop using alchemy, you stop using your magic. Sound fair?"

"Like I'd take an offer like that."

Zelgadis went after Ed with his sword anyway. The young alchemist ducked under the blade and put his palms together. He reached out with his human hand and pressed against the chimera's chest. Zelgadis felt a weird sensation come over him for a moment before Ed jabbed at his stomach with his wrist blade. Much to his surprise, he started bleeding where he had just been struck.

"How did you…"

"You said your skin was made of stone right? Well, I can't exactly cut through stone, so I changed the texture of your torso into something softer. That's the power of alchemy!"

"Heh, not bad kid. That's quite the power you've got there, but your luck just ran out. Look down."

Ed did as he said. Zelgadis had his hand positioned right at Ed's gut. A ball of energy was swirling around in it. The chimera spoke the spell before Ed could retreat.

"Blam Blazer!"

A beam of magic energy burst out of the chimera's hand, sending the alchemist flying backwards into a nearby building. Zelgadis walked toward Ed as he lay in the rubble, on the brink of unconsciousness. Zelgadis picked up the alchemist by the collar of his coat.

"It's nothing personal, kid. If things were different, I would've asked to learn about your 'alchemy'. But if killing you brings me one step closer to getting my body back to normal, I'll gladly end you here and now."

"Heh…heheh…"

"What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing. It's just that you and I have the same goal. Isn't that ironic?"

"Grrr, I've had enough of this. So long kid!" Zelgadis readied a killing blow.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Oh, and why not?"

Zelgadis heard the sound of something powering up next to him. He glanced over to the side to find himself staring into the barrel of an enormous gun.

"That's why."

BRS fired, blasting Zelgadis toward the other end of the street. Ed got to his feet and looked over at his partner.

"Thanks Rock!" he gave her a thumbs up.

"He is not dead." replied the pale girl. "Do you feel strong enough to defeat him?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I'll finish the job."

Ed turned to run down the street. He had noticed a large amount of blood covering Rock's clothing, but had decided not to ask if she was alright. He thought of turning around and asking, but right now he had to make sure he finished off Zelgadis. As he neared the spot where the chimera had landed, he dropped to the ground. A beam of magic energy flew over him. Zelgadis stood a few feet away, his cloak was torn and blood could be seen running down his face. Needless to say, he was not pleased.

"I figured you'd try a dirty trick like that." Ed taunted.

"(pant)….(pant)…are you saying (pant)…that what just happened…wasn't a dirty trick?" replied the chimera.

"Maybe. Rock acted on her own though, she could have let me die. I guess my partner's a lot more reliable than yours."

Zelgadis recklessly lashed out with his sword. Ed easily dodged it and put his palms together. This time he put his hand over the chimera's heart. Zelgadis watched Ed's wrist blade thrust towards him. He closed his eyes as he felt the blade pierce his heart.

"Nothing personal, Zelgadis. At least you won't stay dead. When you come back, you can look for a way to fix yourself again."

The chimera smiled at the thought, then the life faded from his body. He collapsed in front of Ed, lifeless. The young alchemist felt a slight shiver of regret as he and BRS were returned to the coliseum.

* * *

**Hunter's Grounds**

* * *

Midori leapt back as her opponent's sword slammed into the ground in front of her. Ashram glared angrily at the HiME. She was toying with him, and he knew it. He readied his sword once again.

"Quit messing around! We're in a battle, remember your life is on the line!"

yelled the dark knight.

Midori shook her head at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. So serious, don't you ever relax?"

"I don't have time to relax, I must find a new home for the people of Marmo!"

"(sigh) Oh well. I'll fight seriously now. But remember, you asked for this."

As if to prove her point, Midori's cheerful expression became serious. She sprang off her feet and into the air, halberd ready. Ashram braced himself as the HiME came down on him. The strike was much more powerful than he had thought, as he felt his feet sink into the ground from the sheer force of Midori's attack. Still slightly airborne, Midori spun around and kicked at Ashram's midsection. Ignoring the pain, the knight slashed at Midori. The HiME narrowly dodged the strike, watching some of her hair fall from being sliced. Midori held up her halberd in defense as another quick slash went at her throat.

"Why is someone like you here? You're a fool who prances about without any care!" asked an angry Ashram.

"You're the one who's the fool. Perhaps if I tell you who I am, you might change your opinion."

"Not likely!"

"I am Midori Sugiura, leader of the HiME's Orphan Resistance Unit. You still think I don't know a thing about responsibility?"

Ashram was surprised to hear that she was leader of anything. Because of this, he failed to notice the pommel of Midori's halberd as it slammed into his stomach, sending him into the air.

"Gakutenou!" yelled Midori.

Ashram watched as an enormous red beast with a blade as its face burst skyward from the ground, effectively impaling him. The knight gasped for air for a moment before going limp.

"By the gods…" whispered the Arbiter, who was standing nearby.

* * *

**Hollow Bastion**

* * *

_CLANG!_

Rex stumbled backwards from blocking Sora's attack. The brown haired boy swung out with his keyblade again. Rex dodged the strike and countered with a slice at Sora's midsection. Sora tried to evade the attack, but was still moderately cut. They had been fighting like this for a while now. Both of them were injured to the point where either could collapse at any time.

"(pant) this is…(pant)…going nowhere…" Sora wheezed.

"It's (pant) time to end this, (pant) you little shit." said Rex.

Sora glared with absolute rage at the blonde. "Stop…calling me that!" he yelled.

Sora charged furiously at Rex, attempting to decapitate him. Remembering his lessons with Saber, Rex waited until Sora was just about to take his head off. Before the blow could be dealt, Rex ducked and slapped Sora's hands with the flat of his blade. Yelling in pain, Sora lost his grip on his sword. As Sora's weapon fell to the ground, Rex spun around and thrust his Dinoblade behind him.

_SCHINK!_

"Ghk!" he heard Sora grunt.

Rex waited for the thud of Sora hitting the floor before he stood back up.

"Sorry Sora, but you asked for it."

Finished with her own battle, Saber walked over to Rex with a look of approval on her face.

"Well done, Rex." she said.

Just before he could return the compliment, Rex felt a sudden painful throbbing on his forehead. He closed his eyes as he cringed at the pain.

"Escape…You must escape…" a voice said from within his mind.

The throbbing sensation disappeared along with the voice. He opened his eyes to see Saber looking at him with concern.

"Rex, are you alright? You nearly fell over for a moment." she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sora must've hit me in the head at some point." he answered.

_What the hell was that just now?_ he wondered.

"Congratulations! All of the duels have now come to an end." said the voice of the man in charge. "I may have forgotten to mention this, but when you strike down an enemy, you gain that enemy's blade, along with a portion of their powers. Wouldn't want to put in all that effort without getting some sort of reward, wouldn't we?"

After the man finished speaking, Rex and Saber were returned to the coliseum.

* * *

**Coliseum**

* * *

The crowd of survivors occupied the massive arena once again. The man was standing in his usual place atop the stone mound in the middle of the arena. However, something had changed about the stone mound. Now there were several various blades planted in it.

"Some of you may have noticed," the man said. "That this stone is no longer empty. Whenever a competitor is beaten, an image of their weapon will appear here, as a sign of their defeat. I am pleased by the battles I have witnessed today, and I look forward to the second round. But for now, you may return to your worlds to recover and practice. I will summon you again in two months. Farewell, warriors."

With a wave of his hand, the crowd disappeared. Thus ended the first round of the tournament.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Looming Shadows**

* * *

**Emiya Estate**

* * *

Rex yawned as he walked out of his room. It had been 10 days since the first round, and the voice he had heard in his mind hadn't spoken again._ I must've just been hearing things. Sora probably smacked me in the head at some point during our fight._ Even still, he had heard some strange sounds the night before. He put those thoughts aside as he sat down at the dining room table. Saber and Rin were already there, and Shiro was busy fixing breakfast.

"Good morning, hero." Rin said jokingly.

"Good morning Rin, good morning Saber." Rex replied sleepily.

Saber nodded in response, as she was busy eating rice.

"Breakfast is ready!" Shiro called from the kitchen. He brought the food out to the table. As they began to eat, Rex noticed Saber and Shiro had abnormally happy expressions.

"Hey, what's up with you two?" Rex asked.

"Huh?" They both replied.

"You seem a lot more happy than usual. Did something good happen?"

"Uh, nothing that important happened! Shiro's food is just really good, that's all!" Saber said defensively.

"Oh, is that so? I'm glad you like it, Saber. Heheheh…" Shiro said nervously.

Both of their faces had turned red. Rex and Rin raised an eyebrow at them. Then after a moment, Rin made a wicked smile at the two.

"Oh, I get it. You two did a mana transfer, didn't you?" she said.

"Tohsaka!" Shiro said, slightly embarrassed.

"Mana transfer? What's that?" Rex asked.

"You want to know? Okay then…" Rin said fiendishly. "You see, Rex, Saber over there is something called a 'Servant', a legendary hero reincarnated into this world to fight in the holy grail war under the command of a magus, such as Emiya and myself."

"Okay…"

"However, in order to maintain their form in this world and fight to the peak of their abilities, Servants require 'mana', the magical power used by a magus to cast spells. From what I can tell, Saber needed her mana replenished, so she and Shiro must have done a 'mana transfer'."

"Okay, so how does that work?"

"You reeeeally want to know? I'll tell you if you want."

"Okay Rin, that's enough! There's no reason to explain any further!" Saber pleaded.

"Don't worry, I'll just whisper it in his ear. It'll be less embarrassing for you that way."

"Tohsaka, I don't think you should…" Shiro tried.

It was too late, Rin had already leaned over to Rex. She whispered into his ear for a few moments. When she had finished, Rex's jaw hung open in shock.

"You mean that they…" he stuttered.

"Yep." Rin answered.

"And those noises I heard last night were…"

"Uh-huh."

Rex fainted out of sheer surprise. To think the people he was staying with were doing 'that' when he was only a few rooms away.

"Tohsaka…" Shiro said angrily.

"Uh-oh, perhaps I've said too much?"

"Rin, may I have a word with you?" Saber said, grabbing a nearby wooden spoon.

"(gulp)"

When Rex finally came to, Rin was lying unconscious in a corner of the living room with a large lump on her head. He saw Saber and Shiro standing nearby, a broken wooden spoon in Saber's hand.

"Sorry about the spoon, Shiro." Saber said.

"It's alright, I'll just buy a new one." Shiro replied. He looked over at Rin lying on the floor. "(sigh) Tohsaka sure can be a pest sometimes."

"Um, hey, can I ask a favor of you guys?" Rex said.

"What, Rex?"

"Look, I don't have a problem with you two getting intimate with each other or anything, but just make sure to keep it down from now on, okay?"

"Uh, yeah…sure thing."

For the remainder of the day, Rex and Saber continued to hone their skills and train. After Saber disarmed Rex for the hundredth time, they decided to return to the house. Just as they left the dojo though, Saber suddenly stood up straight in alarm.

"Saber, what's wrong?" Rex asked, readying his wooden training sword.

"We're not alone." she replied.

"Yo, Saber. Did you miss me?" said a man's voice.

Rex and Saber turned toward the sound. Standing on top of the dojo were a man with gold hair, gold armor and red eyes, and a man with long silver hair, a black trench coat, and katana that looked to be around 10 feet long from tip to hilt.

"Gilgamesh! What are you doing here?" demanded Saber.

The golden armored man smiled at her. "I'm just checking up on my future wife, that's all. My partner here was also curious about your skills, so we figured we'd watch you practice. However, it seems we've missed all the fun."

"Partner? Is that the man standing beside you?"

"That's correct." answered the silver haired man.

"Saber, who the hell are these guys?" asked Rex.

"The scum wearing gold is Gilgamesh, a Servant like me. I've never met the other man."

"Why did he call you his future wife?"

"He thinks that I belong to him. He even tried proposing to me the first time we met."

"You DO belong to me, Saber. That peasant you call your master is unfit for someone of your stature." Gilgamesh stated.

"…wow. What a dick." whispered Rex.

"Get out of my sight, Gilgamesh! Save your ludicrous desires for the battlefield!" Saber demanded.

Gilgamesh frowned at her. "Fine. But mark my words, I will win this tournament, and I will make you mine. You can count on that, Saber." then he turned to the man at his side. "Sephiroth, let's go."

The two intruders disappeared into the setting horizon. Saber stood where she was for a moment longer, still with an angry glare. Finally, she allowed herself to relax and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, they're gone. I was beginning to fear they would attack." she said.

"That asshole guy, Gilgamesh, is he strong?" Rex asked.

"I have only beaten him once. He is an incredibly powerful foe, it would be in our favor to not have to cross blades with him. We can't ignore the chance he'll make it to the end of this tournament though, so we must train harder." Saber noticed a hint of worry in Rex's expression. "Don't dwell on it right this moment. For now, let's retire."

"Alright, just make sure you don't make a racket this time."

That night, Rex rubbed the lump on the back of his head before he lay down. _Note to self, never make fun of Saber._ He thought as he went to sleep. He slept peacefully for a while, and not a sound could be heard from anywhere nearby. Then, he began to have a strange dream.

Rex was standing on what looked like a large plateau, with nothing around but jagged cliffs and a large crevice that seemed to run for miles. The entire world around him was nothing but white, black, and shades of grey.

"Escape…" said a girl's voice.

Rex turned toward the sound. Standing on an upward facing rock was a silhouetted figure that seemed to have huge arms and a child's body. The only feature he could make out on the figure was a pair of luminescent orange eyes.

"You must escape…" said the figure.

"Escape? Escape what?" asked Rex.

"You must withdraw from this tournament, or you and all that you hold dear will suffer."

"What? Who the hell are you?"

"Escape…" the figure and the world began to fade away.

"Wait! Who are you?"

The world disappeared, and Rex fell toward an endless black sea.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed as he splashed into the sea.

Suddenly, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his room. He had woken up when he came in contact with the water, and found himself to be completely dry. He sat on his bed sheets, trying to make sense of what had just happened. _That was the same voice I heard when I beat Sora. There's no doubting it anymore, someone or something is trying to talk to me. 'Withdraw from the tournament or all you hold dear will suffer'? What did she mean by that? What the hell is this tournament?_

* * *

**The Otherworld (it doesn't really have a name)**

* * *

The orange-eyed girl stared at the spot Rex had just been standing. She looked away toward a structure in the distance. She had been cut off before she could get her whole message across. If she tried to contact Rex again now, _he_ would find her and kill them both. Reluctantly, the girl turned and jumped down from her rock into the trench below. She would find another place, and then she would try to reach the other person of her interest. They would also be asleep by now, and that would make reaching them easier.

"I have to warn them as soon as I can. I have to tell them the truth." she said to herself as she landed on the distant ground below the rock. The girl took off, away from the distant structure.

"It won't be long before he makes those poor girls fight, and when _she_ wins, she'll awaken and destroy them all. I can't let that happen, not again. I couldn't bear to see my friend suffer so much the first time."

The girl picked up her pace as a new building came into view. _There. That should be far enough away from his reach._ The girl reached up with one of her massive mechanical arms and grabbed an overhanging rock ledge. She climbed up the rough surface of the trench wall with ease. Within a few minutes, she had reached the top. Jumping up onto the smooth plateau, she continued to run toward her destination. The building she had chosen resembled a partially demolished church. A feeling of nostalgia came over her as she drew near the old building.

"This place…"

She had often visited this place in the past. It had served as her sanctuary on that dark day. The day she had developed feelings, the day she became aware of the world known as reality, the day she had nearly been killed by _her_. She shook her head and continued on. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. She had to contact the other competitor as soon as possible. She was nearly at the church now, so she slowed her pace to a steady walk. She entered the building through its slightly ajar double doors. Light shone in through cracked windows, illuminating the piles of rubble that lined the church's interior. The girl walked over to pile of rubble and stood on top of it.

"Now, let's hope I can get through."

The orange-eyed girl proceeded to reach out with her mind toward her target.

"Hear me…"

She felt no reaction.

"Listen to my voice…I need to speak with you…"

Now she felt a feeling of curiosity from her target. Now she could bring them here.

"Listen, you must escape from this tournament. If you don't, you will d…"

The orange-eyed girl dropped her connection as she leapt back. A giant metal spike rammed into the spot she had previously stood. The spike was one of several legs attached to a large spiderlike metal monster. Sitting behind the beast in a throne was a girl with golden hair and a thorn like crown. Her luminescent yellow eyes glowed without a shred of emotion. She had hoped to catch the smaller girl with that last attack. The orange-eyed girl clung to the top of a pillar, looking down at the driver.

"Chariot?! Why? We're not enemies anymore!" she pleaded.

The yellow eyed driver looked up at her in response, a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Help me." she replied in a child's voice. "Please, help Kagari."

"Kagari?"

"Kagari doesn't understand…where am I? It's so dark…I don't want to be here…."

The orange-eyed girl realized what was wrong. _That's Kagari's voice alright. That bastard, he must've put her inside Chariot! _ "Listen to me, Kagari! I'm your friend! Please, just hold on. I'm going to get you out of there!"

Leaping down onto the metal spider's back, the orange-eyed girl clenched her large fists. Chariot summoned a sword and shield to her hands and lunged at the girl. Sparks flew as they began to fight atop the metal beast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Solemn Farewells**

* * *

**Resembool, Rockbell House**

* * *

Edward Elric sat on the porch of the Rockbell house, gazing at the setting horizon. It was only a few days until the second round now, and he had been training relentlessly with Rock in order to become stronger. He hadn't said anything out loud, but the pale girl frightened him to an extent. During most of their practice duels, Rock had nearly killed him without a moment's hesitation. What kind of messed up world did the strange girl come from?

"Nah, it doesn't matter. I'll probably never see her again after this tournament thing is over. I wonder if she has any desire to win this thing at all?" he said to himself as he stood up.

He turned around to go inside, but stopped in mid-step. Rock was leaning against the door way, staring at him with cold blue eyes. Ed stared nervously back at her.

"Uh…did you hear all that?" he asked.

"I did." replied Rock.

"So…do you have a desire you're fighting for?"

The girl was silent.

"Oh, I get it. Hey if you don't want to talk about it you don't-"

"I don't have anything I'm fighting for. I don't have emotions. I fight because it is my sole reason for existing."

Now it was Ed's turn to be silent. Was everyone in Rock's world like this? The idea of a world like that seemed horrible.

"What do you mean you don't have emotions? You're human, aren't you?" Ed argued.

Rock didn't reply. Instead she stood up and walked toward Ed. Though she resembled a young girl in her early teens, she was still a foot taller than the alchemist. The two glared at each other for a moment. Then Rock leaned closer to Ed.

"Why do you fight? What do you hope to achieve through this tournament?" she asked, staring straight into his eyes.

"I said it before: I want to get me and my brother's bodies back. This tournament is the fastest and safest way to reach that goal." Ed replied, returning the stare.

Rock paused for a moment, then pulled away from Ed. "Then I wish you luck on your goal, Edward Elric."

With that, the pale girl disappeared inside the house. Ed stood on the porch for a little longer, pondering over what had just happened. It was small, but when she had spoken those last words, she had smiled at him.

* * *

**Fuuka Academy**

* * *

"Whew! What a workout!" exclaimed Midori.

The HiME leader had just finished her training session with the Arbiter on the hill overlooking the academy. She sat down on a nearby rock and stretched. The elite lowered his ornate sword and let out a sigh.

"Just as relaxed as ever, I see." he said.

The Arbiter lay his sword in the grass as he sat down beside Midori. With the second round just around the corner, they had intensified their training. Sometimes Midori even brought out her Child, Gakutenou, to practice alongside them. Midori smiled and laid back a bit to watch the sunset.

"It's a pretty sight, isn't it?" she said.

"Indeed. I've enjoyed these months I've spent on earth. The day to day life of humans is much like that on Sanghelios." the elite looked up at the sky. "This was the first time I've seen earth without being involved in a great conflict."

Midori looked over at the alien warrior. The Arbiter was staring down at his hooves, and had one hand over a spot on his chest. He tightened his grip on the spot.

"If I had not been so blind, I would've gladly accepted this mark long ago. Perhaps then I could have warned humanity before it was too late."

"Arbiter…" Midori said quietly.

The elite looked at her in surprise. "That was unusual. You didn't say 'Arby' this time."

Midori paused for a moment, then smiled at the large alien. "Well, you won't be here much longer, so I guess I can lay off the teasing a little."

The Arbiter chuckled slightly at this. Then he looked back toward the setting sun. The two of them sat there for a time.

"Sugiura." the Arbiter said at last.

Midori looked up at the elite. He was staring at her with a more serious expression than normal.

"I, Thel 'Vadamee, (don't ask how it's pronounced, and yes that's his real name) swear on my rank as Arbiter, that if I am to be the victor of this tournament, I will use my desire to write the wrongs of my past and prevent the annihilation of humanity. I promise as your friend and ally that this world shall not fall prey to the prophet's lies, never again."

Midori was struck speechless. The Arbiter continued to stare at her, waiting for a response. After regaining her mental composure, Midori smiled at the elite.

"Alright, Thel, you better not disappoint me then. You just made a promise to a lady, after all." she replied in her usual joyful voice.

The Arbiter looked as though he was smiling. "If you're going to call me by my name, should I call you Midori from now on?" he said jokingly.

"What, are you gonna ask me for a kiss too?"

"Huh, just because I'm an outcast don't think I'll stoop that low."

"Yeah, you're not exactly my type either, gator-face."

The two of them laughed together. They remained on the rock until the sun disappeared from view before walking back to the dormitory. The Arbiter went invisible on the off-chance someone was still walking around at this time.

"Sugiura, may I ask you something?" said the Arbiter's voice.

"Yes, Thel?"

"If I fail, and you win instead, what will you wish for?"

Midori looked up at the night sky. "Not sure. If I win, maybe it'll come to me then."

"That certainly sounds like you."

"Hey Thel, can I ask you something as well?"

"Of course."

"If neither of us makes it, and someone else wins, will you try to remember me and the time you spent here?"

There was a long pause.

"Arbiter?"

"Sugiura, I assure you, you are impossible to forget. I will never forget the time I've spent at your side."

Midori smiled to herself. "Thank you, Thel."

* * *

**Emiya Estate**

* * *

Shiro, Saber, and Rex all sat next to each other as they ate dinner. On the other side sat Rin and Sakura. While the three on one side dug into their food, the other two sat watching.

"Shiro, more rice please." asked Saber.

"Sure thing, Saber." Shiro said as he refilled her bowl.

"Someone pass the soy sauce?" mouthed Rex through his food.

"It's impolite to talk with food in your mouth." Saber motherly stated as she passed him the sauce.

Rex rolled his eyes and accepted the condiment. Rin and Sakura stared at the three opposite them. Noticing this, the others stopped eating for a moment.

"What?" Shiro, Saber, and Rex said at the same time.

"Well…it's just that…how should I say this…" started Sakura. She looked at Rin for help.

"I think what Sakura is trying to say is that the three of you resemble…well, you all look like an average family." explained Rin.

The three in question stared at each other in confusion.

"We do?" they all responded.

"Yeah. Rex resembles both of you quite a bit. You could probably get away with calling him your son." Rin half-joked.

"Son?!" Shiro and Saber said, spitting out their rice.

"But I already have parents!" corrected Rex.

"Don't go spreading rumors that have no support!" Saber stated angrily.

"Oh! If support is what you're looking for…" Rin started, smiling fiendishly. "Hey Sakura, did you know that just the other day, those two did a-"

Rin was silenced in mid-sentence by Saber smacking her on the head with metal spoon.

"I said too much again, didn't I?" she said, rubbing the large lump on her head.

Sometime later they finished eating and Rin and Sakura went home. Free from anymore verbal harassment, Shiro and Saber went about doing dishes while Rex swept the floor.

"You know, even though she was joking, Tohsaka did have a point." Shiro said as he worked.

"About what?" asked Saber.

"We've been living together for a while now, and it does feel somewhat like we've been doing this all our lives."

Saber and Rex paused for a moment. It was true. They hadn't realized it, but a bond of sorts had formed between them in the time they'd spent together. The three of them looked at each other for a few moments before resuming their work. Later on, Saber and Rex sat on the porch outside the house.

"We'll be parting soon." Saber said.

"Yeah." replied Rex. He looked over at his ally. "I've got to thank you, Saber. If it weren't for your training, I might not have won my fight with Sora. You've been a great teacher."

"And you have been a good friend."

"Saber?"

"Yes?"

"If you win, what will you ask for?"

Saber paused for a moment. Then she turned her attention to the moonlit sky. "I would like to stay in this time, and live with Shiro. I would also wish for the discontinuation of this tournament."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"What about you?"

"Right now, I'd nothing more than to see my friends safe and sound, and to put an end to the darkness and this stupid war."

Pausing for a moment, Saber stood up and extended her hand toward Rex.

"Then let us do our best, for both our goals."

Rex smiled at this. Then he stood up and shook Saber's hand.

"Yeah, it's a deal."

* * *

**Karakura Town, Inoue's House**

* * *

Inoue was fast asleep, smiling. A knock suddenly came at her bedroom door. Wiping the drowsiness from her eyes, Inoue got up and walked over to the door.

"Who is it?" she asked sleepily.

"It's Mikoto." said a young girl's voice.

Inoue opened the door. Mikoto stood in the doorway, holding her sword close.

"Is something wrong?"

"I keep having a scary dream. Can I sleep with you?" pleaded the young HiME.

Inoue smiled at her. "Of course you can. Come right in." _Even if she is a powerful warrior, she's still just a kid after all._ She thought as Mikoto entered the room.

Inoue lay back down on her bed sheets. After she had gotten comfortable, Mikoto jumped on top of her and proceeded to rest her head against Inoue's chest.

"H-Hey, Mikoto…" Inoue started to protest.

Before she could say more, Mikoto started snoring softly. Looking down at the sleeping child, Inoue smiled. _I'll bet she does this when she's with Mai as well. Oh well, who am I to refuse comforting a child?_ She thought as she relaxed. The two of them slept soundly for a while until Mikoto started moaning. The sudden noise startled Inoue.

"Mikoto?"

"No…I don't want that to happen…I've got to run…" Mikoto mumbled. She sounded as if she was in pain.

"Mikoto! Wake up!"

"Mai…help me! I can't breathe!"

Mikoto finally woke up, tears in her eyes. Inoue held the young girl close.

"It's okay, you're safe, I've got you." she said in an effort to calm Mikoto.

The young girl looked up at her for a moment, then started sobbing and hugging her tightly.

"Mai! I want to go home! Mai!" Mikoto said through her tears.

Inoue sat there comforting her until she had finished crying. Wiping one last tear from her eyes, Mikoto let go of Inoue.

"Are you feeling better?" Inoue asked.

"Yeah…thank you Inoue." Mikoto replied.

"You miss Mai, don't you?"

Mikoto nodded. "I don't want to be away from Mai for so long ever again. I don't think I could stand it. I want to be with her forever, so I'll fight in this tournament to make that happen."

Inoue patted the young HiME on the head. "I'm sure you'll do great, Mikoto. Both you and Kurosaki."

"I'm thankful for you and Ichigo taking care of me, Inoue. I do like it here, and I'm sorry for any trouble I might have caused for you guys."

"Oh, don't worry. We like you Mikoto, you should come back to our world sometime. Maybe you could bring Mai with you."

The young girl smiled at this. "Really?"

Inoue nodded. "Mm-hm! You bet!"

Mikoto jumped on top of her again. "Thank you Inoue!"

Soon after, Mikoto went back to sleep. It looked like there would be no more nightmares for the young girl, so Inoue breathed a sigh of relief. _Yes, I'm sure you'll do great in this tournament, Mikoto. Who knows, maybe you and Kurosaki won't end up fighting each other. Yes, I'd be happy if the two of you could stay friends._ With that last thought, Inoue laid back down and drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Second Round (Part 1)**

* * *

**Coliseum**

* * *

"Welcome back, great warriors!" the man in pale blue armor asked from his usual place atop the stone mound. "Today we start the second round of this grand tournament! Now, before we get started, I have a few announcements to make."

The crowd of fighters listened intently.

"As you all know, this is the last time you will see your partner as an ally, so I hope you've said your goodbyes. Also, a slight change to the rules of combat for today's battles: remember how at the end of the first round you received your opponent's weapon? Well, if you feel the need to mix things up a little you can summon that weapon to your side at any given time. How so? Take a look at your waists."

The crowd did as instructed.

"The hell's this?" said someone from within the mass. The person pointed to a small sword handle sticking out of its sheath that suddenly appeared on their waist line.

"All you have to do is remove the hilt, and the weapon you recently gained will appear in your hand. Simply sheath the weapon to put it away. In a few moments, the battles shall begin."

With the time they'd been given, the members of the crowd said their farewells and flung insults at rivals.

"Like a bunch of small children…" Midori mumbled.

"I believe we already made that joke in the first round." noted the Arbiter.

Nearby, Rex glared in suspicion at the man in charge during the time that remained. His thoughts went back to the dream he had during the past two months. _Now that I think about it, he does seem pretty suspicious. What is he up to?_

"Alright, time's up." the man atop the stone said. "The battle begins now! Best of luck, warriors!"

With a wave of his hand, the crowd disappeared to their various arenas.

* * *

**Las Noches**

* * *

Ichigo looked around at his surroundings. He was standing next to Mikoto in a valley of sand, with tall buildings and towers all around them. He knew the area all too well.

"Las Noches." he announced.

"Is that where we are?" Mikoto asked, sword at the ready.

"Yeah, and I can already guess who one of our opponents is."

"There you are, Soul Reaper." called a man's voice, confirming Ichigo's theory.

"Speak of the devil." Ichigo grumbled as he turned toward the sound.

Standing on top of one of the towers was a blue haired man dressed in a white vest and pants, and a younger man dressed in a green tunic with brown boots a long green cap. The blue haired man had half of a skeletal jaw on his face, which seemed to add to the wickedness of his grin.

"I see you're still alive, Grimmjow." Ichigo called to the blue haired man.

"Heh, you kidding me? This is a piece of cake! I haven't even broken a sweat!" Grimmjow answered. His smile turned from wicked to ferocious. "The real battle begins here. This time, I'll kill you for sure! Ichigo!"

The number 6 espada flew from his perch on the tower at Ichigo, drawing his sword as he went. Ichigo held his sword out in front of him.

"Ban-kai!" he shouted.

In a flash, Ichigo's enormous sword had changed into a pitch black katana, and his kimono had grown longer with a battle torn trim. With a yell, Ichigo burst off the ground and into the year, readying his sword to meet Grimmjow's.

* * *

**The Otherworld**

* * *

Ed walked through the dimly lit halls of a partially ruined building, wrist blade already formed. Rock walked a few feet in front of him, turning her head to scan the shadows around them. They passed by a window, and Ed saw the world outside the building. Everywhere he looked was black and white, the only land formations were vast plateaus and long, jagged trenches that seemed to stretch for miles. All around it was…empty.

"Hey Rock, can I ask you something?" Ed whispered.

The pale girl didn't respond.

Ed continued anyway. "This place we're in right now, this world, is it…"

"Yes, this is the world that I come from. This is my home." Rock said suddenly.

Ed went silent at this. _Looks like I was right, the world is just as dark and empty as she is._ He was about to apologize for asking, but stopped when he noticed the tip of something long and snakelike disappear into the shadows.

"Rock, I don't think we're alone anymore."

As if to confirm his words, a low hissing sound came from somewhere within the darkness. Rock pointed her cannon at the shadows in front of them. Ed turned around to cover the rear. The hissing got louder and more high-pitched. Whatever was in the hall with them was getting close. The hissing suddenly stopped. Ed looked around the room. Nothing moved.

_SPLOTCH!_

Ed looked at the floor. A pile of something wet and translucent lay between his feet.

"Sssssssss….." hissed something above him.

Looking up, Ed found himself face to face with something inhumanly tall and pitch black. The creature in front of him had only one facial feature: a set of wickedly sharp canines in place of regular teeth. The creature opened its mouth, and to Ed's surprise a second smaller mouth sat in place of a tongue.

"Rock!" Ed shouted.

He ducked right as the smaller mouth shot out of the creature's maw. Rock turned around and fired at the beast. The creature screeched as it was tossed back into the darkness by the shot. No sooner had she done this, when a swarm of chains burst up from the floor below her. Rock leapt back in time to avoid the attack. She aimed her cannon at the floor and fired. As the ground burst, she fell toward the floor below. Landing on her feet, she looked up to face her attacker.

"You.." Rock whispered.

Standing before her was a pale skinned girl with long black hair dressed in a black dress, stockings, and high heeled shoes, glasses, and a wedding veil. Green vertebrae like horns curved inward at the top of her head, and luminescent green eyes shone through her glasses. In her claw-like green tipped hands, the girl held a large scythe with vertebrae like decorations along the top half of its handle.

"Dead Master." said Rock.

"Black Rock Shooter." said the green-eyed girl.

The two stood facing each other for a moment, neither of them moving an inch. Then, the two girls dashed towards each other with great speed. Discarding her cannon for her sword, Rock lunged at Dead without a moment's hesitation. Dead blocked the strike and swung her scythe down in a lethal arc. Rock narrowly dodged the strike as the curved sickle sliced through the air beside her. Rock then sent a murderous slash at Dead's throat. Dead arched back, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly above the tip of her short nose. Standing back up, Dead readied her scythe as Rock lashed out at her again.

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Ryoudouji Temple**

* * *

Saber realized with a start the place she and Rex were now standing. Memories of the 5th Holy Grail War came back to her as she looked around.

"Hey, isn't this that temple you and Shiro mentioned one time?" Rex asked.

"Yes, this is Ryoudouji." Saber answered. "It seems that this time, we have the home field advantage."

Rex stared at her in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be a knight or something? Since when do you use modern terms?"

"I sense our enemy is near."

"Hey! Don't ignore m-"

"GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH !" a deep voice roared suddenly.

Saber went wide eyed at the sound, for she remembered it all too well.

"Berserker!" she announced.

"Berserker?! Shit!" Rex exclaimed. He had heard from Rin and Shiro about the savage Servant, and how it had nearly claimed their lives and Saber's with its immense strength.

Sure enough, the moment Rex had finished talking the shadow of a gigantic man leaped over the temple gate and into the courtyard in front of them. Now illuminated by the moonlit sky, the man before them stood at least 9 feet tall, with immense muscles that looked as hard as a rock covering every inch of his body. The man held a massive sword with a serrated outer edge, and his right eye glowed red with fury as he glared down at his opponents.

"Hey, you two over there." said a man's voice behind Rex and Saber.

The two turned around to see another tall man, this one wearing a black and white kimono with the kanji for '11' printed on the back. The man also had black hair that stuck out in long spikes behind his head, an eye patch over his right eye, and in his hand he clutched a very long and badly worn katana. All in all, he resembled a crazed demon samurai, especially with the malevolent grin he wore on his face.

"I've got a question for both of you." said the samurai.

Rex and Saber stared in slight confusion at the man.

"Which of you is the strongest?" he said, smiling bigger than before.

* * *

**Covenant Corvette, Docking Bay**

* * *

"Ugh!" the Arbiter grunted as he landed with a thud. He felt a burning sensation from the long slash that had just been made on his chest. Getting back to his feet, he turned back to face his opponent. A man with silver hair, a black trench coat and a 10ft long katana stood a few feet away.

"Bastard…just who are you?" demanded the Arbiter.

"I am called Sephiroth." answered the man.

The Arbiter readied his sword and glanced off to the side. Not far away, Midori was engaged in a fierce battle with a man with golden hair and gold armor. She seemed to be holding her own fairly well, but he could tell she was just as injured as he was.

"You should pay attention to your own fight." said Sephiroth.

The Arbiter looked back toward the silver haired man. In the time he had been checking on Midori, Sephiroth had come closer to him. Now it would be very difficult to dodge the man's extremely long sword. Sephiroth swung with lightning fast speed at the elite. The Arbiter barely managed to block the attack, stopping the sword inches from his neck. Shoving the blade aside, the Arbiter then rushed forward with his own sword. Sephiroth skillfully dodged the strike and countered with another quick slash. The Arbiter groaned in pain as he felt the long sword cut through his armor and across his back.

"You have skill, but I am far above you." Sephiroth taunted.

_SCHINK!_

Sephiroth stared in surprise at the rod that was now stuck in his chest. Out of nowhere, the Arbiter had pulled out the spear he had won from the Predator and desperately thrown it at Sephiroth. The man simply grabbed the spear and removed it from his chest.

"Not bad, but you'll have to do better than-"

"RRRAAAAAAH!" yelled the Arbiter, grabbing a small object from his side.

The object was shaped like the hilt of his sword, but with a slight movement of his hand, a pair of blue-white plasma blades formed on either side of the hilt. With an angry look of killing intent, he charged at Sephiroth. The man swung down his sword to intercept the elite. The Arbiter swung his sword up to meet his, cutting the katana in half. Sephiroth stared in surprise as the elite plunged his energy sword into his gut. The Arbiter pulled back the blade and prepared a final blow.

"Aaah!" screamed Midori.

The Arbiter looked in the direction of the cry. Midori was lying on the floor, badly hurt. On the floor above, her opponent stood laughing. A golden light appeared behind the armored man. Midori watched in horror as the blades of countless weapons suddenly protruded from the light. The golden man raised his hand, then extended it toward her. As if obeying his command, the mass of blades flew from the light straight at her. Midori closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms, waiting for the end.

_SCHINKx20!_

Midori opened her eyes. She hadn't been struck by a single blade. Dark purple blood was splattered all over her clothing. Realizing who it belonged to, she looked up. The Arbiter stood in front of her, a large number of blades sticking out of his back.

"THEL!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Second Round (Part 2)**

* * *

**Covenant Corvette, Docking Bay**

* * *

"THEL!" Midori cried.

The elite had jumped in front of her just before the torrent of steel had landed. The blades of various weapons stuck in and out of several locations on his body, dark purple blood dripping from the wounds. Somehow, he was still standing.

"Sugiura…" the Arbiter wheezed. "…are you alright?"

Midori sat there in silence for a moment. "I…I'm fine…"

She heard the elite let out a sigh. "That's…good…"

The Arbiter shuddered slightly, then fell to his knees. His hands hung lifeless as they dropped to the floor. Ignoring her own injuries, Midori crawled in front of the elite to face him. The golden armored man gave a look of disgust as she put her hand in the elite's.

"Oh please…I don't have time for this." he said, raising his arm to launch another volley.

He felt something grab his raised arm. Looking to his side, he saw Sephiroth was now standing next to him.

"Not yet, Gilgamesh. Wait for the moment to reach its peak, then end it." Sephiroth commanded.

The gold man sighed and lowered his arm. "Fine, but they'd better make it quick."

"Thel, come on, get up!" Midori pleaded.

The elite managed to lift his head. Though his vision was now blurred, he could make out Midori's worried face. He wasn't sure if it was the loss of blood or a pain induced hallucination, but it looked as though Midori was crying.

"What are you crying for, you fool?" the Arbiter spoke, weakly.

"Huh?"

"Look at yourself, Sugiura. Your face is soaked in tears. That's not like you."

"Thel…"

"I…(cough) need to apologize…Sugiura…it doesn't look (cough)…like I'll be keeping my promise…"

Using the last of his strength, the Arbiter picked up his inactive energy sword and placed it in Midori's hand.

"It's…been fun…we should…do it again…sometime…"

Midori wiped the tears from her face. "Yeah…I'd like that."

The Arbiter coughed violently. He had only seconds left now. Midori pulled the elite close.

"Hey, you'd better not forget me, Thel 'Vadamee." she whispered close to him.

The elite managed a smile. "How could I, Midori?"

Midori was about to say more, but just then Arbiter's head was replaced by a shower of dark purple blood. Midori sat in shock as the purple liquid splashed across her face.

"Sorry, but I couldn't stand the stupidity of that conversation anymore." Gilgamesh said from behind her. "I mean, that guy's not even human."

Without thinking, Midori activated the energy sword in her hand and slashed behind her. She stopped in mid swipe as something stuck into her stomach. Gilgamesh drove his sword further into the HiME, until she dropped her weapon and collapsed on the floor. Gilgamesh then put his hand against his cheek. Through his gauntlet, he could feel the scar that had just been burnt onto his face. Even with his power as a Servant, a deep, searing wound like that would take a long time to heal.

"Hmph. What a shame."

* * *

**Fuyuki City, Ryoudouji Temple**

* * *

_CLANG!_

Saber struggled to keep Berserker's massive sword from crushing her. The two Servants stood with their blades locked, each trying to push the other back. Saber felt her strength start to leave her under Berserker's might.

"GrrrrRRRAAAAAAAAH!" yelled Berserker.

The savage Servant swung out with his free hand, striking Saber and sending her flying. She crashed right into Rex, who was struggling with his own battle against Kenpachi. (he identified himself between chapters) The Soul Reaper captain looked at them with disappointment.

"Come on, is that it? I'm starting to get bored." said Kenpachi.

Rex and Saber quickly got to their feet. Both Berserker and Kenpachi were walking towards them, neither of them badly injured.

"(pant) (pant) Holy shit…(pant)…that guy…he's like a talking Berserker!" Rex stated. "I managed to cut him a few times, but he just kept coming like it was nothing. How are you doing, Saber?"

"(pant) Not good…the only way I was able to beat Berserker the first time was because Shiro helped me. And even then, we had to use…" Saber started. Then, it came to her. "That's it!"

"What?"

"Rex, I believe I know how we can beat them. Thankfully, my mana has been recently replenished-"

Rex rolled his eyes.

"-so I should be able to use it more than once without collapsing. Rex, get behind me."

Rex did as instructed. "Okay, so what are you…gonna…whoa."

Saber's sword had suddenly started to give off a golden light. Steadying herself and focusing power into the blade, Saber raised her arms above her head.

"Ex…" she started.

"Huh?" Kenpachi wondered out loud.

"…Calibur!" Saber shouted, swinging down her arms.

An enormous torrent of golden flame erupted from Saber's sword. Berserker and Kenpachi disappeared from view, engulfed by the seemingly endless flames. Rex stared in awe as the flames finally began to fade, revealing two badly burnt bodies where Berserker and Kenpachi once stood. Saber breathed heavily for a few moments before falling to her knees.

"Saber!" Rex said, kneeling down beside her.

"I…I'm fine…I just haven't used my Noble Phantasm in so long."

"Grrrr…" came a low voice.

"Ouch, that actually hurt." said Kenpachi's voice.

Rex and Saber watched in horror as the two giant warriors stood up, unfazed by what had just happened.

"I was afraid this might happen…" Saber muttered. "It seems the blade itself is still the only way to obtain victory."

Saber started to rise, but Rex put his hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Rex…?"

"You're not gonna last long like this. You've kicked their asses enough, Saber, let me have a little fun too, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, Rex stood up and turned to face Berserker and Kenpachi.

"Alright, big guys…" Rex pulled on the hilt at his side, summoning the keyblade to his free hand. "…where did we leave off?"

With both the Keyblade and his Dinoblade in hand, Rex charged at the two in front of him. Berserker slashed at him first. Rex jumped over the strike and landed on Berserker's sword. Using the wide blade as a springboard, Rex leapt up and swung both blades down at Berserker's head. Landing behind the giant, he waited for the thud of Berserker's body hitting earth before turning to Kenpachi. The Soul Reaper captain was smiling again.

"Not bad, kid. Now, it's my turn!" Kenpachi said.

Kenpachi burst towards Rex with incredible speed. Rex prepared himself for the attack. Kenpachi slashed at Rex over and over, and each time he either slightly cut him or his strike was blocked by one of the boy's swords. Seeing an opening, Rex cut at Kenpachi's face. The captain's eye-patch fell to the ground. Rex was surprised to find that the eye it had hidden was in no way deformed or damaged. Kenpachi looked over at the patch and then back at Rex.

"Aw man, now you've done it. Sorry kid, but I'm afraid I can't hold back anymore." Kenpachi said.

Rex watched as an enormous aura of power surged around the Soul Reaper, nearly knocking him off his feet. Kenpachi raised his arm, preparing to end the battle with his next blow.

_SCHINK!_

Kenpachi looked down. Saber had recovered her strength and had stabbed him. Her sword began to glow gold again.

"Ex…" she started.

"You're not really gonna try that again, are you?" Kenpachi asked.

"…CALIBUR!"

This time, the powerful flame burst inside Kenpachi, roasting him from the inside out. Having won the duel, Saber collapsed to the floor, exhausted.

* * *

**Las Noches**

* * *

Mikoto jumped into the air as she swung at her opponent. The man in the green tunic held up his shield in defense. Blocking the strike, the man then countered with a slash from his sword. Mikoto dodged the strike and leapt behind the man. Before the man could make another move, Mikoto thrust her sword behind her, impaling him. With a cry of pain, the hero of Hyrule lifelessly collapsed onto the sandy plains of Hueco Mundo. Mikoto then stuck her sword into the ground, propping herself up. During the course of their battle, the man had struck her several times. What seemed like an eternity passed before she had landed that final blow.

"Desgaron!" she heard a man's voice shout.

Mikoto turned towards the sound. Not far away from her, the man called Grimmjow was swinging large blue arcs of energy at Ichigo. Grimmjow now had catlike features on his body, including a long tail. Ichigo barely blocked the energy arcs, pushing himself into a nearby tower in the process. Recovering from the injury, Ichigo glanced over at Mikoto. _Please don't hate me for this, Mikoto._ He thought as he put his hand over his face. Sliding his hand over his face, a white skull mask with red designs suddenly appeared, hiding his features. Ichigo's eyes had now become black with yellow pupils.

"So, you've finally decided to use it. Took you long enough!" yelled Grimmjow.

Ichigo charged at the espada, a trail of black energy following the path of his sword.

"Getsuga…" Ichigo began, his voice distorted slightly.

"Desgaron!" Grimmjow shouted, sending more energy arcs.

"Tensho!"

Ichigo sent a black wave of energy to meet Grimmjow's, causing the blasts to explode upon colliding with one another. Flying through the smoke, Ichigo thrust his sword at Grimmjow. With a feeling of serious déjà vu, Grimmjow froze as the sword stuck into him.

"Dammit…not again…" Grimmjow wheezed before going limp.

Ichigo slowly descended toward the ground. He landed next to Mikoto, who was still leaning on her sword. Mikoto was staring up at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. Ichigo's hollow mask broke, revealing his normal face underneath.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Are you alright?" he asked.

Mikoto smiled faintly and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm okay."

* * *

**The Otherworld**

* * *

Ed watched with dread as a portion of his automail arm began to melt away.

"Aw man, Winry's gonna kill me for this." he said to himself.

He glanced over at the dead creature beside him. The grotesque being had tried to eat him alive, and on several occasions attempted to impale him with its long spiked tail. He had managed to stab it in the neck, but when he did so yellow blood had splashed on his coat and arm. To his surprise, the blood had turned out to be a highly concentrated acid, and he had been forced to remove his coat in order to not melt to death. The ground shook suddenly, reminding him of the battle taking place on the lower floors of the building. He had seen the girl Rock was up against, and could tell with just a glance that she was also an inhabitant of this strange world.

* * *

Outside, a short girl with massive metal arms wearing a black hoodie stood observing the building. A black, vertebrae like tail swished back and forth from her waist. Her luminescent orange eyes shone with sadness at the battle she sensed raging within the building.

"They're fighting again…" she said to herself.

The girl began to run toward the building. "I'm not letting this happen, not again. I won't let my friends hurt each other anymore!"

"It's far too late for you to stop them now." a man's voice said within her mind.

The girl froze in place. "You…"

"You sense it too, don't you? Black Rock Shooter is going to kill her soon, and then she will awaken once again."

Ignoring the voice, the orange-eyed girl ran toward the building again. "I won't let that happen!"

The girl raised one of her massive fists and punched a hole in the building, allowing herself entry. Inside, she saw Rock and Dead Master slashing away at each other. A bright blue flame burned out of Rock's left eye. A short blonde teen stood a little ways away from the battle.

"Come on, Rock! You can do it!" the boy cheered.

"You fool!" yelled the orange-eyed girl. She ran toward Rock and Dead. "Stop it! This is just what _he_ wants!"

The pale girls ignored her. Rock managed to disarm Dead, leaving her wide open.

"Don't!" pleaded the orange-eyed girl.

It was too late. Rock drove her sword through Dead's heart. Then, she froze. Instead of Dead Master, Rock now saw a young girl with long black hair and glasses.

"Yomi…" Rock said in a young girl's voice.

The girl cringed in pain for a moment before falling backwards. Now Dead Master again, her lifeless body hit the floor with a thud. Rock stared in shock at the green blood dripping from her sword. The hooded orange-eyed girl slumped to her knees nearby.

"No…it happened again…" she muttered.

"Rock, what's wrong?" asked Ed.

Rock stood there, still in shock at what she'd done. Then, with a loud cry of pain and sorrow, a series of blades burst from all over her body. The blades began to twist into ornate shapes around her, until a terrible new being was born. Rock now stood wearing black armor over her chest, arms, and legs.

"Rock?"

The pale girl turned to face him. She glared at him with purple eyes, and an angry purple flame burned out of her left eye. Black Rock Shooter had awakened once again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: The Truth**

* * *

**Coliseum**

* * *

Rex quietly made his way down a long hallway. At the end of the second round, the man atop the stone had told the remaining 12 competitors that they would spend the remainder of the tournament inside the coliseum. A doorway had opened up in the wall of the arena, revealing a number of long passageways and halls. The competitors had all been given rooms to stay in, and according to the man their friends and family back in their worlds had already been informed of the change in lodging. Rex had waited until he was sure the others were all asleep, then quietly snuck out of his room.

"Escape…you must escape…" the stranger's voice chanted again and again in his head.

_Escape from this tournament or all will suffer? Alright voice, let's see if you're right._ He thought as he rounded a corner. After walking for a while, he noticed a door was cracked open slightly. Curious, Rex peered inside. The room appeared to be dimly lit with monitors that hung from the wall closest to the door. Rex slowly crept into the room.

"Who's…there?" came a man's voice.

Rex nearly jumped at the sound. Sitting at the far side of the room, chained to the wall, was a pale skinned man with short white hair and wearing white armor. The man had faded grey eyes that drooped with sorrow. Other than the difference in color, the man looked just like the man running the tournament.

"You…you're a fighter…" said the man.

"Uh, who the hell are you?" Rex asked.

"Kurai…Shosetsuka…" (it's Japanese, I'll let you guys figure out the meaning )

"Aren't you the guy in charge?"

"No…that is…my other self…"

"Your 'other self'? What the hell are you talking about?"

He heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the room.

"Please…you must go…" the pale man warned. "Get out of here…find the girl with-"

"That's quite enough, Kurai." said a familiar voice.

The man in pale blue armor now stood behind Rex.

"Mr. Owen, I don't believe you should be here."

"What's going on? Why are there two of you?" Rex demanded.

"I'm afraid you've seen too much. What a shame, and I had such high hopes for you."

Suddenly, an enormous gear shaped battle axe with a handle built into its hilt appeared in the man's hands.

"Run!" shouted Kurai.

Just then, the wall Kurai was held to exploded. Out of the rising dust, a yellow-eyed girl with long golden hair wearing a jagged crown, a black and white dress, and boots with golden wheels in place of feet leapt into the room. The man in pale blue glared at her.

"What the hell are you doing, Chariot?" he demanded.

The girl returned the glare. "You made Mato kill Yomi. You took Yomi away from me! Kagari won't forgive someone who hurts Yomi! Give her back!" she growled.

Chariot summoned a sword and shield to her hands and slashed at the man. As they began to fight, a new figure climbed through the hole in the wall. Rex stared in shock at the newcomer. Standing before him was a short, tan girl with orange eyes and white hair, dressed in a long black hoodie embroidered with white flames and boots. The girl had two massive, metal four fingered gloves the size of her body in place of her lower arms. _Holy shit! She's real!_ Rex thought.

The girl turned toward Kurai. With a minimum of effort, she pulled off his chains. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Kurai rubbed his wrists. "I'll be fine."

"Let's get out of here, I'm not sure how much longer Chariot will last."

Kurai nodded and walked toward the hole. He stopped at the edge and turned toward Rex. "You'd better come with us, Mr. Owen. I'm sure you'd like to know what all this madness is about."

With that, he jumped out the hole and disappeared from view. The orange-eyed girl grabbed Rex with one of her massive hands.

"Sorry about this." she said.

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me you're gonna-" the girl tossed him. "-THROOOOW MEEEEEEeeeeeeee….!" he shouted as he flew.

The orange –eyed girl turned back to the battle between chariot and the man in pale blue. "Chariot, come on!"

"Go! I'm not leaving without Yomi!"

"Kagari…"

Reluctantly, the orange-eyed girl leapt out of the hole, disappearing from sight. Chariot glanced back to make sure she left, then glared back at her opponent. The man in pale blue scoffed at her.

"Not leaving without Yomi? Alright then, maybe I'll think about it if you can win." he said as they clashed once again.

* * *

**The Otherworld, Outside the Coliseum**

* * *

"Rex…Rex…wake up, Rex…" said a voice.

Rex blinked a few times before opening his eyes. He was lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling of what seemed to be an old building. Light poured in from shattered glass windows. Sitting up, he noticed the hooded girl from earlier was standing in front of him, a hint of concern in her luminescent orange eyes. Before he could say anything, he felt his entire body ache with pain.

"I'm sorry if you're injured, it's hard to gauge how much force I exert with these." the girl said, holding up her large arms.

"You don't say." Rex muttered sarcastically.

The girl frowned slightly at this, but decided it was pointless to be angry. "I'm aware that I have a lot to explain to you, so I might as well get started."

Rex got to his feet. "Alright then, how about you start by telling me who the ***k you are?"

"My name is Strength."

"What kind of name is that?"

"I could say the same thing about someone named Rex."

"Okay, I get it. Well, Strength, why have you been visiting me in my dreams?"

"That was my only method of contacting you. It's easier when you're subconscious."

"Oookay…"

"Just listen, ok? I would've warned you sooner, but Steel kept me from doing that."

"Steel?"

"The man running this nightmarish tournament. Like me, he is a denizen of this world. He is called White Steel Wrath."

"Wait, you know him?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Strength paused for a moment. Then let out a deep sigh. "I should probably explain from the beginning. That way, you'll be able to understand the gravity of your situation."

"Alright, but try to keep it simple."

Strength nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay. I, along with everyone else in this world, was created for the sole purpose of fighting for my counterpart in reality. I bear her pain, and I fight the other girls in this world in order to keep doing so. That is the foundation of our world."

"What the hell? That's ****'d up!"

"Maybe so, but most of us lack any emotion, so we have no reason to fear death. If we die, then so does the sorrow we bear for our other selves. I used to be like that, until Black Rock Shooter came. I barely survived our duel, and in doing so I gained emotions."

"Black Rock Shooter?"

"I'm sure you've seen her by now. She has pale skin, short shorts, a jacket, no shirt to cover her bra (she's flat-chested, anyway), boots, and has two pigtails of different lengths. Her eyes are blue, and a blue flame burns from her left eye."

"Oh yeah, her. She looks kind of different now though."

"That's because she's awakened. Now she is Insane Black Rock Shooter, a bringer of absolute death and destruction. Poor Mato, I can imagine how terrible she must feel being trapped within that monster again."

"Mato? Who's that?"

"A happy, kind girl I met in reality. She's the one BRS fights for. Right now, she is trapped inside IBRS, just like all my other friends have been imprisoned in their other selves by that bastard…"

A tear fell down Strength's face as painful memories resurfaced.

"Um, are you okay?" Rex asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Strength paused before continuing. "But now is not the time for me to dwell on things I can't change. I should just skip to what you need to hear. A long time after Insane was defeated by Mato and returned to normal, I wondered the world aimlessly. And then, one day, _he_ appeared before me. I admit I had doubted the existence of males in our world, since everyone I've met was a girl, but that changed when I met White Steel Wrath."

"You mean the guy running the tournament?"

"Yes, but he wasn't like that back then. When I met him, he had swapped bodies with Kurai Shosetsuka, his real world counterpart. We traveled together for a time, and became good friends."

"Kurai, you mean the guy in white who looks just like Steel Wrath? And speaking of which, where is he?"

"Kurai is keeping watch outside. Don't worry, he's on our side. Now as I was saying, I traveled with Kurai for a time. But suddenly, Steel Wrath wanted back into this world, and Kurai was forced inside his body. Steel Wrath had changed since visiting reality, and had returned in his awakened form, Corrupted White Steel Wrath. He knew everything about me and Kurai, and I believe that's what stopped him from attacking me on sight. He told me that he and I should rule over this world. No, every world. He offered me power, and anything I could ever want. I refused."

"I take it that didn't go over well?"

"Not in the slightest. He grew enraged at my rejection, and said that if I would not join him, he would find someone more powerful to rule with him. After that, he left to begin this twisted tournament. Now do you see, Rex? He's using you and everyone else as his puppets. He wants you to kill each other so he can take the winner as his partner. This whole tournament is a trap!"

Rex stood still, stunned. It all made sense. The opponents he had faced were all highly skilled warriors, so any one of them could have become the champion. However, there was something that was still bothering him.

"Steel Wrath said he had high hopes for me. What did he mean by that?" he asked.

"He probably saw you as one of his 6 hopefuls." said a man's voice suddenly.

Rex turned around. Kurai was now standing behind him, a look of sorrow on his face. "It seems that like me, he has a habit of running things in a poetic fashion. He even came up with his own little rhyme for the three who would make it in the end:

'_The first, a bringer of despair_

_The second, a valiant being_

_And the third, both cruel and fair_

_Is somewhere in between.'_

I believe he means that one finalist will be a villain, one a hero, and one whose path is unclear. He has 2 people in mind for each role, and I think you fall under the role of the hero, Rex."

"That does make sense. But I have one more question, why are you telling this to just me? Shouldn't everyone who's in this tournament be told the truth?"

"Most of them won't listen," Strength answered. "But you are not the only one I've tried to contact. Right now, I am transmitting this conversation to three others within the 6 hopefuls. One of them is the woman known as Saber."

"Saber's a hopeful? She must be the other hero, then."

"You've lasted this long, but now that you know the truth behind the tournament, Steel Wrath will most likely try to kill you. We should get you out of here before-"

_SCHINK!_

Strength stopped as blood splattered onto her hoodie. Sticking out of Rex's chest was an enormous black blade. The blade drew back, allowing Rex to collapse to the floor. Standing behind the dead boy, was a pale skinned girl with purple eyes, one of which sprouted a furious purple flame.

"No…no way…Black Rock Shooter…" Strength mumbled.

She saw Kurai fall to the floor as well, struck down by a large black and white serrated sword. A pale woman with long black hair, red horns and red eyes wearing a short jacket, boots, and red claw-like gauntlets stood over Kurai.

"Saya…even you?"

"I'm sorry, Strength. I tried to fight it, but I can't control Gold Saw." answered the woman.

"You've been a very naughty girl." came a man's voice.

Strength watched in horror as a man in pale blue armor walked towards her, in between Insane and Gold Saw. The man smiled fiendishly at her.

"Hello Strength, it's been a while." said Corrupted White Steel Wrath.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I must inform you guys that school is starting for me soon, so I won't be able to write as often. However, don't think that'll stop me from writing. Lol. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Champions of Darkness**

* * *

**Otherworld, Coliseum**

* * *

The remaining warriors gathered in the large arena, waiting for the man in charge to return to his usual place atop the stone mound. Most of them were still oblivious to the events that had transpired the previous night. Ichigo stood next to his former teammate. He could tell from the worried expression on her face that she had been one of the few to receive Strength's message. He also noticed Saber, who was standing nearby. Her hands were shaking furiously, most likely about to fly into a revenge fueled rage the instant Steel Wrath appeared. Then, with a flash of light, the man had taken his usual place atop the stone.

"Welcome back, warriors." said Steel Wrath. "Before we begin, I have some important announcements to make. Due to reasons of his own, Rex Owen has withdrawn from the tournament."

Saber barely managed to hold herself back from attacking him.

"Because of this, I have brought in a replacement fighter."

With a snap of his fingers, Strength appeared on the floor along with the other fighters. The others leapt back in surprise, as the small girl was covered in bruises and had landed flat on her back. Shivering a little, Strength slowly opened her luminescent orange eyes.

"This is Strength. I trust you will treat her with the same decency as your fellow warriors."

Strength tried to get up, and nearly stumbled over. She felt someone catch her before she hit the floor. Strength looked up to see Saber holding her. Saber turned toward Steel Wrath.

"What is the meaning of this?" Saber asked.

"Of what?"

"This girl is clearly too injured for combat. Also, it's easy to tell that she's not a blade user. Why have you brought her into this contest?"

"Strength is the only non-blade wielding exception I will call upon, for she is easily as strong as any of you here. As for her injuries, they will heal within mere moments. Do you have anything more to say about it, Saber?"

Saber was about to rush at him, but Strength held her back.

"Don't. If you try to fight him now, you won't be able to avenge your friend." she warned. "I'm alright now, Saber."

Reluctantly, Saber obeyed the small girl. Using her massive arms as anchors, Strength managed to stand up.

"See? Nothing to worry about. Now, in a few moments I will begin the third round. Until then, you may talk amongst yourselves." instructed Steel Wrath.

The room fell completely silent. Everyone either gave Strength a look of accusation or just stood still waiting. They remained like this for the remainder of their grace period.

"Alright, without further ado, let us begin!"

With a wave of his hand, the twelve competitors disappeared.

* * *

**Resembool, not far from the Rockbell Household**

* * *

Ed looked around. He was surprised to find himself in the peaceful fields of Resembool. Praying no one he knew was nearby, he began scanning the area for his opponent. It didn't take long to find them. Ed went wide-eyed with shock as his eyes met his opponent's.

"No way…" he said.

Walking toward him was none other than his former partner, the newly awakened Insane Black Rock Shooter. Not only had her appearance changed, but so too had the gargantuan weapon she held in her right hand. Instead of a cannon, a large black blade extended from the magazine-like hilt of her weapon. Purple flame burned furiously out of her left eye as she approached him.

"Dammit, I was afraid this might happen." Ed said as he transmuted his wrist blade.

Insane quickened her pace toward the young alchemist, smilingly wickedly. Ed quickly walked to meet her. When they were about twenty feet away from each other, they both broke into a jog. Now only a few feet apart, Insane slashed at the alchemist. Ed barely managed to duck and slide under the large blade. He swung at the pale girl as he stood up, cutting into her right arm. He leapt back to put himself out of the blade's reach. Insane tried to swing her sword, but her arm wouldn't move.

"Don't bother. If you try to use your arm now, you'll-"

_RIIIP!_

Ed stared in horror at what had just happened. While he was talking, Insane had reached over with her uninjured arm, and torn off the other arm. Ed noticed a long chain that stretched from her back to her large sword. As if alive, the chain lifted up the large weapon, with the severed arm still gripping it. Summoning a jagged scimitar to her left hand, Insane charged at the alchemist, swinging wildly. Ed was barely able to deflect some of the blows, and was soon covered with gashes and cuts. Seeing an opening, he thrust at the uninjured left arm. To his surprise, Insane discarder her sword and grabbed his arm. Smilingly crazily, Insane tore off Ed's mechanical arm.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the alchemist cried as he fell to his knees, gripping his shoulder.

Ed looked up to see Insane's large sword swing down at him, still connected by the chain. He felt metal against his neck, then his senses left him. Insane watched the boy's head roll off his shoulders and plummet to the ground, shortly followed by his body. Retracting the chain, Insane reattached her right arm to her shoulder. She glared at the dead alchemist with disappointment before being returned to the coliseum.

* * *

**Olympus, Coliseum**

* * *

Two men stood in the center of a large, vacant arena. One had gold hair, red eyes, and wore a suit of golden armor. The other had long silver hair, grey eyes, a black trench coat, and held a 10ft long katana in his left hand. The man in gold gave the other an amused grin.

"Well, isn't this a treat? It looks like I finally get to dispose of you." Gilgamesh taunted.

"Likewise. Now I will no longer have to tolerate your arrogant whining." countered Sephiroth.

"Heh! Alright, peasant, show me what you've got!"

Sephiroth accepted the invitation by charging at Gilgamesh with incredible speed. A golden light appeared behind the servant, and from it Gilgamesh drew forth his own pillar shaped sword in time to meet the blow. Sephiroth's blade met Gilgamesh's, and the sheer momentum of the strike blew the two of them apart from each other. Quickly recovering, Gilgamesh extended his open hand toward Sephiroth. A torrent of blades flew from the golden light at his opponent. Just before the blades struck Sephiroth, he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Eh?" Gilgamesh stated.

Suddenly, he sensed something rapidly approaching from behind. He turned around just in time to dodge a thrust from Sephiroth. The silver haired man slashed with lightning fast speed at Gilgamesh, managing to cut him a few times. Gilgamesh dashed back to catch his breath. Gritting his teeth, the segments of his sword began to spin and glow red with power.

"Enuma…" Gilgamesh started.

Sephiroth went wide-eyed as he realized what was about to come.

"…Elish!" Gilgamesh shouted as he swung his blade in an arc.

A cyclone of red energy burst out of the sword towards Sephiroth. The silver haired man disappeared in the deadly swirling light. Gilgamesh smiled, thinking he'd won.

"Interesting." came a voice behind him.

Surprised, Gilgamesh turned around to see Sephiroth standing behind him, holding his katana only an inch from his throat.

"I haven't seen that before, it must be something you save for strong opponents." Sephiroth continued. "But, it won't matter now."

Gilgamesh swatted the long blade aside and rushed him. In response, Sephiroth jumped high into the air. The silver haired man held out his hand toward the Servant below. Suddenly, blue-white orbs of energy appeared all around Gilgamesh.

"What?!" Gilgamesh stated angrily.

Sephiroth closed his hand, and the orbs all flew toward Gilgamesh. They exploded upon coming in contact with their target. Sephiroth gently landed back on the ground as dust from the explosion began to settle. Gilgamesh stood in the same spot as before, injured and with a mixed look of amusement and rage.

"Now we're talking! Is that the best you've got, peasant?"

Sephiroth looked mildly surprised, but his usual composed expression quickly returned.

"Hmph. It seems your arrogance is without end."

Suddenly, a single large, black, angelic wing sprouted from Sephiroth's back. He readied his katana. Both he and Gilgamesh charged toward each other at the same time. The two evil warriors met, swords clashing. They swung again and again at each other, blocking each other's blows and countering each time. Soon, their blades became locked in place, each warrior trying to force the other back.

"So, is that woman really the object of your desire?" asked Sephiroth.

"Heh, she's just one part of the deal." snickered Gilgamesh. "You and all those other fools who think themselves so great need to be reminded of who the true king is! It's time I took back my place as ruler over the world!"

Sephiroth shoved Gilgamesh backward. He tried to deal a killing blow, but Gilgamesh was able to block it in time. Their blades became locked again.

"You really think someone like you is fit to rule? Pathetic. I will strike you down, and then I will kill that woman. Then, I will take the world as my own."

Gilgamesh smiled wickedly as a golden light appeared behind him.

"In your dreams!"

With a shove, he sent Sephiroth flying backward into the wall of the arena. Standing tall, the light expanded, and the blades of hundreds of weapons protruded from it.

"Gate of…"

Sephiroth struggled to get up, but it was too late.

"…Babylon!"

At Gilgamesh's command, hundreds of blades flew from the miasmic golden light toward Sephiroth. The silver haired man took a stance with his katana and began to deflect the blades. Gilgamesh looked on as he continued to deflect every last one the flying weapons that drew near him. Keeping up the assault, Gilgamesh ran towards Sephiroth. As he drew near, Sephiroth raised his unoccupied hand, allowing some of the blades to cut him. Glowing blue-white orbs appeared around the fighters.

"If I will die, then you will join me."

Before Gilgamesh could react, the orbs slammed into him, exploding on impact. The force of the blast propelled him toward Sephiroth, who was extending the tip of his katana to meet him.

_SCHINK!_

Gilgamesh stood in front of Sephiroth, with the long blade of the katana protruding from his back. Sephiroth cringed in pain. Several swords were stuck in his chest, and now Gilgamesh had added his own blade to the numbers. Slowly, both men stepped away from each other. Blood ran down both of their bodies from the multitude of injuries they had sustained.

"(pant)…(pant)…hey…(pant) what do you say we (pant) put an end to this?" Gilgamesh wheezed.

"Very…well…" Sephiroth managed to get out.

The warriors readied their swords. After standing for a moment, they both lashed out at each other with incredible speed. They now stood with their backs to each other, swords at the ready. They remained like this for a few moments, until Sephiroth stood up and relaxed his blade.

"What a shame. I was hoping to rid the universe of your ignorance. Perhaps we will meet again." he said.

Then, his strength left him. Sephiroth collapsed to the ground, face first. A pool of crimson began to spread around his body. Gilgamesh turned toward the fallen warrior and scoffed.

"Fool, I am the king. I will always be the king. You never should've thought you stood a chance against me." he declared. He turned toward the dark sky above him. "Well, it doesn't really matter. You're finally out of my way." Then, smiling fiendishly added, "Only two more rounds now, Saber. Two more rounds, and then you'll be mine."

He laughed triumphantly at this as he was transported back to the main coliseum.

* * *

**A/N:** Done a t last! I'm sorry I took so long, I just couldn't find the time to get this done due to being swamped by tons of work. (Ugh) No matter though, even if it takes a while I will still try to upload chapters as soon as I am able. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Those Who Know Pain**

* * *

**Emiya Estate**

* * *

Shiro stood alone in his kitchen, washing dishes. It felt as though there was a great imperfection in the world without Saber around, but he had let go of his worries. Saber would be fine, she was more than capable of handling herself. _She is the legendary king of knights, after all._ He thought as he finished his chore. Just as he was turning in for the night, he heard something strange from outside.

_Clang! Clang!_

_(Grunt)_

_Clang!_

"That almost sounds like…" Shiro started. The faint grunts and yells sounded very familiar. "Saber!"

No sooner had he spoken, when Saber came crashing through the roof and onto the floor beside him. The Servant was injured, her right side was stained red with blood.

"Saber!"

Saber turned toward Shiro in surprise. "Shiro?"

"You're hurt! What's going-"

"Get back!"

Saber leapt at Shiro, shoving him aside. Something large slammed into the spot she had just occupied.

"What…" Shiro exclaimed.

Standing before him and Saber, was a tall pale-skinned woman with red eyes, long blackish red hair, and horns. The woman wore a long sleeved black jacket over her large bust, shorts, blood red metallic boots, and claw-like red gloves. In her hand she held a large black and gold sword with a serrated edge on the back half of its blade.

"I'm sorry…" came a voice from somewhere within the woman. "I can't control Gold Saw… I don't want to hurt you!"

"Gold Saw? What is she talking about, Saber?" asked Shiro.

"The woman you see before you is called 'Gold Saw', the voice we're hearing is her other self, who has become trapped within Gold Saw. She is my opponent." Saber answered calmly.

"Wait, this is a tournament battle?"

"That is c-"

"Why are you guys fighting at my house?!"

"….I apologize for any damage that may occur."

"You didn't answer my-"

Saber didn't hear the rest. Gold Saw had slashed at her during the conversation, and she had just barely been able to block the strike. Forcing the large blade aside, Saber lunged at Gold Saw. The pale woman jumped up, avoiding the attack and making another hole in the roof. While Shiro started complaining about repairs, Saber followed after her opponent. On the roof, Saber charged at Gold Saw with great speed. Gold Saw swung to meet the strike, stopping Saber's sword. She lashed out at the Servant, hoping to decapitate her. Saber narrowly managed to duck under the big sword. Leaping down into the yard, Gold Saw then pulled out what looked like a watering can. Saber stared at the object in confusion.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

In response to the question, Gold Saw swung the can in an arc in front of her, spilling drops of water everywhere. Suddenly, hooded figures began to rise from where the drops fell. The figures then sprouted numerous blades from within their cloaks. Saber leapt into the crowd of figures, dodging and parrying their strikes as she closed in on Gold Saw. The pale woman took called back her sword and swung down at the servant with the serrated back edge. Saber was unable to react in time to prevent the blade from slicing her left arm, nearly severing it from her body. Gold Saw pulled the sword back to finish off the wounded Servant.

"SABER!" Shiro cried from the house as Gold Saw brought down her sword.

_SCHING! SCHINK!_

Gold Saw stared in confusion at the sight before her. Her sword had been cut in half, she understood that, but what was truly surprising was the fact that Saber had also managed to pierce her heart at the same time. Then she saw. Saber had drawn forth a long, badly worn katana and slashed at her sword while using Excalibur to catch her off guard and stab her. Gold Saw managed to force a smile with what strength she had left.

"Thank…you…please…save…Strength…" said Saya's voice from within her.

Saber nodded at the woman. "On my honor as a warrior, I will do my best to fulfill your request."

With that, Gold Saw closed her eyes and let the life leave her body. Saber had emerged victorious once again.

* * *

**The Hollow, Myrrah's Throne Room**

* * *

Strength looked around at her surroundings. She was in a large room lit by burning chandeliers. A large, empty throne sat nearby. Through the windows, she could see fluorescent greenish-yellow light rise like smoke from somewhere far below. To her surprise, she noticed stalactites hanging from the dark roof of the outside world. Wherever this place was, it was far underground.

"Grrrrrrrrrr..." came a raspy, inhuman voice from nearby.

Strength turned to face the source of the sound. Standing in front of the throne was a 7 and a half-foot grey skinned man wearing a kilt, pants, a harness over his chest, and a mask over the top half of his head. Dreadlock like hair hung from the back of his head, and in his claws he gripped a long staff with oddly shaped forked blades on either end. His mouth hung open slightly, showing off his jagged teeth. Strength held up her fists in a defensive position.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The creature swung his staff at the throne, and soon sparks were flying as he sawed through the large chair, cutting it in half. Strength now realized the blades on either end of the creature's were chainsaws.

"I….am sssSkorrrrrrrge…." the creature hissed.

"Skorge, eh? Well show me what you've got, freak!"

With an angry screech, Skorge leapt at the small girl. He swung downward as he drew near her. Strength caught the staff between her large hands. Shoving the deadly weapon aside, Strength thrust her fist into Skorge's unarmored stomach. The large Locust was sent flying back 10 feet, but regained his balance by landing on his feet. Skorge growled before charging again. This time he spun his staff in a wheel-like motion, making it difficult to predict his next action. Suddenly, he shifted out of the motion and swung his staff in a low-cutting sideways strike at Strength's waist. Strength jumped over the whirring saw blades and onto the Locust's back. Wrapping her legs around his neck, Strength brought both her fists down on Skorge's head, knocking him face first into the ground.

"Raaaaaaah!" Strength yelled as she proceeded to mercilessly pound Skorge's head further into the floor.

When blood began to fill up the crevice she had made, she stopped her assault and relaxed. Skorge lay unmoving, his face buried around a foot into the concrete floor.

"Thank goodness that was over with quickly. I was barely able to jump over his last attack."

While she waited to return to the coliseum, she heard a high-pitched growl from where Skorge was laying. Surprised, she turned toward the big Locust. The growling turned into a hiss as Skorge's arms began to twitch with life. His strength returning, Skorge lifted his head out of the hole and stood up. Strength heard his neck snap back into place with a grotesque cracking sound. Skorge bent down and retrieved his staff, then turned back towards his opponent. He glared at Strength with nothing but boundless hatred in his eyes.

"Impossible…I beat you to a pulp…how are you still alive?" Strength wondered aloud.

"Don't you remember the rules?" said a Steel Wrath's voice in her head. "You can beat him senseless again and again, but the only way to kill your opponent is by striking him down with a blade."

"But I don't have a blade!"

"Then I suggest you find or make one, because you won't last long not that you've angered him."

Steel Wrath spoke true, for just as he finished talking Skorge screamed with rage and lashed out at Strength. The small girl narrowly dodged the attack, and watched as the floor next to her was ruthlessly cut into. Skorge then planted one end of his staff in the ground. Using it as an anchor, the tall Locust then launched himself at the girl, feet first. Though her metal arms took the brunt of the attack, Strength felt herself slide backward a few feet. Just as she was lowering her arms, she noticed Skorge flying toward her with his staff arching toward her right side. Strength held up her fist in defense, and watched sparks fly as the saw blade cut the arm into pieces. Skorge followed up the attack by kicking the small girl in her stomach, sending her flying back into a nearby pillar.

"Hrrrrr…" Skorge groaned, appearing to smile triumphantly.

Strength cringed in pain as she pulled her right arm out of the remnants of her glove. Fortunately, Skorge had cut the metal hand just high enough to miss her real arm. Still, this meant she only had one of her big hands left now, and she wouldn't last long against Skorge's staff in this condition. She needed to buy herself some time. As Skorge closed in for the kill, she held up her left hand. To Skorge's surprise, the four fingers had rearranged themselves into gun barrels. Strength let a rapid stream of lead burst out of her hand toward the Locust, forcing him to retreat and take cover. Knowing she'd eventually have to reload, Strength looked around for a new weapon to use.

"C'mon, there's got to be something!"

Then, something caught her eye. Laying a few feet away from her, leaning against a pillar, was an odd looking assault rifle. But the gun itself wasn't what captured her attention, it was the curved saw-tooth bayonet positioned beneath its barrel. _If that's what I think it is, I might just have a chance._ She thought. Quickly, Strength pulled her left arm free of the still firing metal glove and ran towards the firearm. Skorge peeked out from behind where he was taking cover and glanced at the gun-arm. It had stopped firing, and the small girl was nowhere to be found.

_VVVRUUUUUUUUUUM!_

Skorge turned around in time to see Strength leaping at him, the chainsaw bayonet of her recently acquired Lancer roaring violently. Skorge held up his staff in time to have it meet the girl's saw. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu as his staff was split in half. Strength revved her bayonet before attempting another strike. This time Skorge responded by bringing down both halves of his staff to meet her blow. The blades connected, and sparks flew furiously as they battled for dominance. Taking a deep breath, Strength poured all of her remaining might into one last push against the Locust. Skorge could only watch as the small girl tore his blades to shreds and bring her bayonet down on his exposed chest. The tall Locust shrieked in pain as he his body was violently carved in half, scattering blood and gore across the floor. Strength stood over the bloody remains, clutching her Lancer triumphantly before being transported back to the coliseum.

* * *

**The Woods Behind Fuuka Academy**

* * *

Ichigo stood over his opponent, covered in cuts and bruises. In front of him lay a badly injured girl with short green hair tied in a long thin ponytail behind her head. The girl wore a ninja outfit, and a gigantic shuriken lay next to her. The girl looked up at Ichigo through half closed eyes.

"You have won, Ichigo Kurosaki. I admit defeat." she said.

"I'm sorry, Akira. I didn't think I'd have to fight a HiME, especially not one who's friends with Mikoto." Ichigo said.

"Don't worry, this is nothing like when I was beaten by that girl. She is small, but incredibly powerful. If she had not saved me, I would have been killed by that fearsome attack."

"Do you mean her ultimate attack?"

Akira nodded. "Kurosaki, I must warn you. There is no doubt in my mind that you will have to face Mikoto. When you do, will you be able to face her? Even if she was once your ally?"

Ichigo paused for a moment. "Don't worry about it. I'd prefer not to lose, but if Mikoto proves to be too strong, I won't deny her victory. She's just a kid, after all."

"I pray that you will not regret that decision."

With that, Akira closed her eyes and allowed herself to die. Having won, Ichigo soon disappeared from the world.

* * *

**The Otherworld, Coliseum**

* * *

Ichigo reappeared in the large arena with the other surviving fighters. He noticed the stone mound was now filled to the brim with the blades of those who were defeated. Looking around, he noticed Gilgamesh, Saber, Strength, and IBRS were standing nearby. Including him, there were only five competitors in the room. Which meant only one thing.

"Hey, where's the sixth semi-finalist?" Ichigo asked.

"Yet to be decided. It would seem their battle is only now coming to an end." Steel Wrath responded.

No sooner had he spoken, than a light suddenly appeared next to the other survivors. Ichigo waited impatiently for the light to fade. When it finally did, Mikoto was standing before him, Miroku in one hand, and another large sword with a living eye in the other. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief as he gave the young HiME a thumb's up. Mikoto returned the compliment with a nod of approval.

"And there we have it." Steel Wrath started. "Now, only six warriors remain. I'm sorry to inform you that there won't be much time for you to rest. The semi-finals will begin in just a few hours. Don't worry though, when you next enter combat all your injuries will vanish and leave you in prime fighting condition. For now, you are dismissed."

And so the third round came to an end.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Semi-Finals**

* * *

**The Otherworld, Coliseum**

* * *

Once the third round had ended, Steel Wrath had announced that the competitors had 12 hours before the next round, and sent them to their rooms to rest and recuperate before disappearing in a flash of light. As Ichigo neared the room he was occupying, he noticed a faint light leaking out of a slightly open door. He heard voices coming from within the room, so he quietly leaned against a wall to peer inside. From what he could see, Steel Wrath was talking to what appeared to be a hologram of someone.

"How interesting. I look forward to meeting you in person, Trotejy." Steel Wrath said.

Sensing another presence, Steel Wrath turned toward the entrance of the room. No one was there. He smiled to himself as he turned back toward the hologram. _It doesn't matter, they'll all find out eventually._ He thought.

The next day, the remaining six competitors gathered in the arena. Ichigo talked with Saber, Strength, and Mikoto about what he had seen the previous night.

"Trotejy? I've never heard of anyone by that name." Strength said.

"Even so, he's got to be up to something." Ichigo stated.

The others nodded in agreement just before Steel Wrath appeared on his usual place atop the stone mound.

"Welcome back." He announced. "We have now entered the semi-finals of this grand tournament. The six of you are truly the elite among elites, but only three of you will be advancing into the final round. In just a few moments, we will begin. You may use this time to talk amongst yourselves."

Like in the round before, the short period passed in silence. There was nothing left to say now.

"Alright then. Without further ado, let's get this show on the road!"

With a wave of his hand, the small group disappeared.

* * *

**The Otherworld, Unknown Location**

* * *

Gilgamesh scanned his new surroundings as he appeared on the battlefield. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but an infinite blackness without light. He could make out the black and white tiled floor amidst the darkness, and it seemed as though elaborate, jagged spiked pillars rose out of the ground. Turning around again, he now noticed a faint glow from somewhere within the void. Walking towards the light, he realized with a start what created the glow. A young girl with short ponytails on the top of her head was bound by chains, hanging about 20 feet from the floor. The girl's eyes were closed, and tears seemed to stream endlessly down her face.

"Where the hell am I?" Gilgamesh wondered out loud.

"A world created by the child you see before you." a woman's voice said from somewhere.

Insane Black Rock Shooter stepped into the faint light, her left eye burning furiously. She looked up at the girl bound in chains.

"This is _our_ world."

"Well what do you know, you can talk after all." Gilgamesh mocked. "Now, what exactly did you mean by _'our' _world? And who's the kid?"

Insane glared at the Servant. "I meant exactly what I said. This is the world that was created by Mato Kuroi, the world I exist in. That girl…is Mato."

"You're saying that runt created this place?"

"That's correct. All the pain, regret, and sorrow she feels goes here, creating a world of darkness. It was destroyed once, but now that she has taken the life of her beloved friend, it has been reborn, and so have I."

Still trying to make sense of all this, Gilgamesh decided to bring up one more question. "Is it just me, or do you two look a lot alike? You guys related or something?"

"Something like that. But it doesn't matter, you won't live long enough to find out."

Insane aimed her large sword at Gilgamesh. The gold Servant smiled wickedly as a golden light appeared behind him.

"About time we got started." He said.

Just as blades began to protrude from the golden light, projectiles began flying out of the base of Insane's gun-sword. Surprised, Gilgamesh was struck by several bullets in his arm. Desperately, he used his other hand to command a volley of blades at Insane. The pale girl made no effort to dodge the blows, allowing herself to be struck multiple times. Lowering her gun-sword, she began walking towards the injured Servant, purple-black blood spraying all over the ground. Gilgamesh increased the speed and number of blades that flew at his target. Insane continued to slowly approach him, unfazed by the countless injuries she was receiving.

"Wh-What the hell? Why aren't you slowing down?" He said mostly to himself.

He was now using the full potential of his 'Gate of Babylon'. Again, Insane received many injuries. She still wasn't slowing down. In a few more steps, Gilgamesh would be within reach of her gun-sword.

"Why won't you DIE?!"

Insane gave no response. She simply raised her gun-sword in preparation for a strike. Gilgamesh grimaced as he reached into the golden light and produced his own sword.

"Enuma…" the pillars began to glow and turn.

Insane swung at him.

"…Elish!"

Gilgamesh cast a vortex of red energy from his sword. Insane watched as the blast collided with her gun-sword, tearing it from her grasp and flinging it somewhere into the darkness. Gilgamesh chuckled triumphantly.

"Hah! How are you supposed to win if you don't have a-"

_SMACK!_

Gilgamesh cringed in immense pain as he recovered from the punch. He reached up with his empty hand and felt his stomach. Four knuckle-sized holes had just been made in his armor. _Wha-it was a punch! How can a fist do something like this?_ He wondered. He found his answer when Insane struck at him again, this time in his face. Because it was so dark, he hadn't realized until now that Insane's fingers were more like razor sharp claws. The pale girl grabbed his shoulders. With sudden speed, she raised her armored knee into his gut, stabbing him with its spike. Gilgamesh staggered back. Enraged, he charged up his sword for a counter strike.

"Enuma-"

_SCHINK!_

Gilgamesh stared cross-eyed at the jagged scimitar now lodged into his forehead. Insane had summoned her sword in the time he had tried to recover. Smiling wickedly, she placed her other hand on the hilt of her sword. Gilgamesh watched in disbelief as she swung the blade down, still inside him. A horrid tearing sound was made as the Servant split vertically in half. Insane turned back toward the girl bound by chains. Her eyes were still closed, and tears continued to fall.

"That's it Mato, give me all of your pain. For I will carry your burdens, as I have always done." Insane said.

The girl whimpered slightly. Her expression seemed to turn from sadness to concern.

"Don't try fighting me again, Mato. Even if you do get out, you won't be able to beat me. Not anymore."

Then, Insane disappeared as she was returned to the arena.

* * *

**The Otherworld, Unknown Location**

* * *

Saber scanned the world around her. She was now standing on what appeared to be a giant rubix-cube like structure that hovered over a pit of fire. Flames roared furiously from below the structure, threatening to incinerate anything that drew near them. Her opponent was still nowhere to be found.

"Show yourself! I know you're here!" Saber commanded.

In response, a segment of the structure suddenly rotated, revealing the one she would fight.

"I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." said Strength.

The small girl was standing around 10 feet away, holding an enormous dual-bladed staff in her massive hands. Saber knelt down and planted her sword in the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"I swore to Saya that I would try to save you. I will not take back that promise, nor will I slay a child."

Strength gave a saddened smile at this. "Still looking after me, even after all this time…Saber, you must fight me. You have a better chance at defeating him than I do."

"But-"

"Saber, please. I may not look it, but I haven't been a child for a very long time now. While I may appear young and frail, I am at least as old as you are."

"That is no excuse for me to harm one so young!"

Strength paused for a moment. It was useless now. Saber would not betray her word through talk. Still, it would be better if they fought now, before Steel Wrath tried to force them.

"I am sorry, but if you will not face me, then I will take your life."

Strength leapt at the Servant, swinging the chainsaw staff downward. Saber dodged the attack with ease. Drawing her sword from out of the ground, the Servant took a stance. Strength turned around at swung at her again, this time in a wheel like motion that made us of both ends of her staff. Saber held up her sword in time to stop the whirring blade from cutting her in two. Strength continued to press against her, trying to brake through the block. Saber was having difficulty keeping up with her opponents immense might. She managed to force the staff off to the side, leaving Strength wide open. Saber slashed at her opponents large hands, trying to cripple them. Strength leapt back in time to dodge the strike.

"You said you wanted to help me, right?"

"That is correct."

"Then don't hold back. If you really want to save me, you must defeat me here, in my own personal hell."

"Personal…hell?"

"Yes. This place is a dimension created by Yuu's strong negative emotions. Yuu is the name of the girl I fight for, my other half."

"I see. So this world is a prison, then."

"If you understand, then strike me down."

Strength charged at Saber again, slashing at her from multiple directions. Saber managed to dodge the strikes, and soon found another opening. She swung with great speed at the staff in Strength's hands. Caught by surprise, the small girl watched the deadly weapon leave her grasp and fall into the pit of flames. Saber brought her sword down at Strength's head. She stopped just before making contact. Saber pulled back from the small girl and turned around.

"There, I have won. You no longer have a blade with which to win the duel."

Strength stood still behind her, unable to respond.

"You haven't won quite yet, Saber." Steel Wrath's voice announced.

"The girl has no more blades to fight with, does that not mean I am victorious by default?"

"I told you at the start, the only way to win is to strike down your opponent with your blade. If you will not do so, then I will remove the restriction on Strength's abilities."

"You'll have to do it then, because I will not take a child's life."

Saber dropped her sword to the ground. Strength stared at the weapon.

"You are far too noble for your own good, you know. She told you herself, she is not a child." Steel Wrath continued.

"I don't care. Nothing you say will change my decision."

_SCHINK!_

Surprised, Saber turned around at the sudden noise. Strength was standing at the edge of the platform, with Excalibur driven through her chest.

"No!"

Saber ran towards the girl. Strength held out one her hands to stop her. With the other hand, she withdrew Excalibur from her chest and tossed it to Saber's feet.

"I'm sorry…Saber…you really are…a kind person…so please…stop him…for me…" Strength managed to whisper.

The small girl then closed her eyes and leaned back, casting herself into the inferno.

"Strength!" Saber called.

But it was too late, she had already been consumed by the flames. Saber sat on the edge of the platform, watching the fires burn furiously before being returned to the arena.

* * *

**Soul Society, Sogyoku Hill**

* * *

Ichigo stood on the all too familiar hill overlooking Seiretei. In days long past, he had come here to rescue a friend from certain death, and in doing so had fought a great battle with many a powerful foe. Now he was here again, but this time his opponent was not one he had planned on facing. Mikoto stood a short distance away from him, her sword clutched tightly in her hands.

"Looks like this is it." Ichigo said simply.

"Yeah." Mikoto responded.

"I really hoped I wouldn't have to fight you for real."

"Same here."

Ichigo readied his sword. He was already in his Bankai state. Mikoto readied her blade as well.

"If we're going to do this, don't hold back. Use everything you've got."

"You do that as well, Ichigo."

The soul reaper half smiled at this. "Okay then. Let's fight, Mikoto."

The former friends instantly sprang into battle. The two warriors clashed swords again and again in a seemingly endless cycle. Ichigo dodged a swipe at his head, then used flash step to get behind the HiME. As he swung at her midsection, Mikoto did an acrobatic backflip into the air, swinging down as she flew over Ichigo. The soul reaper blocked the strike a few inches above his head, then countered with a slash of his own as Mikoto neared the ground. Mikoto swatted the blow aside. Just as her foot touched the ground, she sprang backward again, creating a gap between her and Ichigo. With a shout, she drove Miroku into the ground. Suddenly, enormous black blades began to spring up from the ground in a line toward Ichigo. The soul reaper leapt into the air to avoid the attack. Gripping his sword with both hands, power began to build up in Zangetsu.

"Getsuagatensho!" Ichigo shouted.

He sent forth a powerful wave of black energy at Mikoto. The HiME disappeared in a cloud of dust as the blast impacted. When it cleared, she was still standing, but was definitely injured. As Ichigo landed back on the ground, she held her sword high above her head.

"Miroku!" Mikoto shouted.

A pair of energy like red eyes appeared on the black sword as power began to surge up all around the young girl. Knowing what was about to come, Ichigo drew forth his mask. _This time, I'm ready for it._ He thought.

"Tosotsuken!" Mikoto yelled.

The skyscraper sized energy sword was now completed. _I'm sorry Ichigo, please don't hate me for this._ Mikoto thought as she brought down the enormous weapon. There was a large explosion of power as the massive blade connected with its target. After about a minute or so, the blade returned to its normal length. Mikoto sighed as dust swirled around where Ichigo had been standing. She turned around to leave.

"Grrrrrrrr….."

Mikoto turned back at the sudden sound. Readying her sword, the dust finally began to clear, revealing the source of the noise. Ichigo was still standing, but something gruesome had changed about him. His skin had become pure white with red markings adorning his chest, and his hair had grown to a much longer length. But the most noticeable change was that of his face: it had disappeared under an ornate skull mask with forward pointing horns. Ichigo's eyes were nowhere to be found within the mask.

"Ichigo?"

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" cried the hollowfied Ichigo.

The hollow flew towards Mikoto with incredible speed, barely giving her enough time to react. Mikoto managed to stop a sudden slash at her head, but Ichigo tried to force her knees as she held up his sword. Then, an orb of red energy formed between his horns. Mikoto was only able to stare in shock as the Cero fired, striking her at point blank range. The HiME flew into the air, badly injured from the attack. Ichigo appeared above her as she plummeted back towards the ground. She and the hollow exchanged blows back and forth as they fell. Nearing the ground, Ichigo slashed at the young girl's hand, causing her to reveal an opening as she cried out in pain. With a roar, Ichigo thrust his sword at the girl.

_SCHINK!_

The two of them landed on the ground with a thud. Ichigo's mask began to break as he returned to his normal self. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing above Mikoto, with Zangetsu planted in the girl's chest. The young girl looked up at his horrified face. Mikoto managed to force a faint smile.

"I'm (cough) glad you won (cough) Ichigo. Mai wouldn't (cough) like it if I (cough) killed one of my friends." she wheezed.

Ichigo said nothing. How could he when he had just taken this child's life away so cruelly? Mikoto tilted her head back and stared out into space.

"Hey…do me a favor…win this tournament…okay?"

Ichigo managed to nod.

Mikoto smiled at this. "Good…I'm gonna go to sleep now…and when I wake up…I'll have some of Mai's…great…food…" The girl closed her eyes and relaxed.

Ichigo stared at the HiME for a few more moments before finally regaining feeling in his body. He punched the ground.

"DAMMIT!" he cried in both sorrow and anger as he was transported back to the coliseum.

Now, only three warriors remain.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally! I'm so sorry it took so long! With school going on, I've been really bogged down by homework and other such things so I haven't had a lot of time to work on this. I hope this was a satisfying fight, I'm sorry if it seemed rushed. But at last, we are now reaching the final stage of this tournament. Till next time! DarkNovelist out.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Endgame**

* * *

**The Otherworld, Coliseum**

* * *

"At last…the time has come!" Steel Wrath proclaimed.

The armored man sat on a throne atop the stone mound. Below him, three doors opened up in the walls of the arena.

"First, the bringer of despair…"

Insane Black Rock Shooter entered through a door.

"Second, a valiant being…"

Saber entered from another.

"And the third, both cruel and fair, lying somewhere in between."

Ichigo walked in through the last door, still in his bankai form.

"A hero, a villain, and one whose fate is unclear. The three of you have come far in this tournament, and have proven yourselves the strongest. However, only one of you can leave this place as a champion."

"Ichigo," Saber began, "I have no quarrel with you, and I am sure you share my desire to end this wicked game. Am I correct?"

"You are." Ichigo answered.

"Then it is only natural that we should combine our strength to defeat White Steel Wrath."

"I agree. There's just one thing standing in our way though…" he glanced over at Insane.

"I know. We will have to deal with her first."

"Now then," Steel Wrath continued, "Because this the last round, the battlefield will be this very arena. The Let the final battle, BEGIN!"

Ichigo and Saber both charged at Insane.

"Two against one, eh? Oh well, it's not like you have a chance anyway."

The pale girl waited for them to come within range before lashing out with her gun-sword. Saber blocked the strike, allowing Ichigo to jump and attack Insane's head. Before he could land the blow, a small gun barrel popped up from Insane's gun-sword and fired at him. Ichigo managed to flash step out of the way, but then another small gun appeared and poured a small burst into Saber's side. Cringing from the pain, Saber shoved the large gun-sword aside and slashed Insane. Purple-black blood burst out from the wound, but Insane remained unfazed and countered with a swing of her unarmed hand. Saber leapt back to avoid the blow, while Ichigo suddenly appeared behind Insane. The soul reaper slashed at her, but she deflected it by summoning her scimitar in time. Using flash step, Ichigo then appeared in front of Insane and cut at her hand, causing her to drop the scimitar. He flash stepped backward as Insane swung her gun-sword at him.

"Now, Saber!" Ichigo yelled.

"Ex…" Saber started, gripping her sword with both hands. "…Calibur!"

A torrent of flame burst from her sword towards Insane, engulfing the pale girl. The large gun-sword was ripped from her grasp, flying to somewhere beyond the flames. As the fire began to die down, Saber turned to Ichigo.

"Ichigo!"

"I got it! Getsuga…" black energy swirled around his sword, "…Tensho!"

A wave of powerful black energy flew from his blade towards Insane, striking her square in the chest and flinging her into the wall of the arena. The pale girl disappeared under dust and rubble. Saber and Ichigo stood confidently. Suddenly, the rubble was shoved aside as Insane got back up. Even though that last attack had been a direct hit, she ignored the pain and walked out of the freshly made crater. Mildly surprised, Ichigo and Saber readied their weapons as she walked toward her gun-sword. This time Ichigo charged first. He went for Insane's hand, hoping to prevent her from retrieving her weapon. To his surprise, the pale girl grabbed his sword. Ichigo tried to pull back, but Insane's grip was like steel. Held in place, Insane gave Ichigo a right hook to the face, followed by a kick to his side. She continued to beat him in this way until she suddenly lost the feeling in her right arm. Looking to her side, she saw it laying on the floor. Saber stood above the appendage, purple-black blood staining her sword.

"That's enough of that." Saber stated.

Insane let Ichigo drop to the floor before turning to face the Servant. The pale girl smiled wickedly as a shadow suddenly loomed over her and Saber. Confused, Saber looked up to see the large gun-sword, connected to Insane's back by a chain, hanging over her head. She barely managed to raise her sword in time to stop the massive weapon. While Saber struggled to keep the gun-sword from crushing her, Insane casually picked up her arm, reattached it, and picked up her scimitar from where it had fallen. Ichigo started to stand up, ignoring the swelling on the right side of his face. He noticed Insane walking toward the preoccupied Saber, preparing to catch her unprotected. Quickly, Ichigo drew his hand over his face, summoning his hollow mask and giving him the boost he needed. Using flash step, he put himself between Insane and Saber, and began to slash relentlessly at the pale girl. Retreating at first, Insane managed to keep up with his speed and soon was on the offensive. Ichigo felt himself being pushed toward Saber, soon both them would be under the gun-sword. Desperately, Ichigo held out his hand, forming a ball of red energy. It angered him to have to resort to his hollow powers, but a cero was just what he needed right now. Just as he was about to fire, Insane slapped his hand with her scimitar, causing him to redirect the blast at-

"Saber!" he yelled as a beam of deadly red energy burst from his hand.

Saber's eyes went wide with fear as the blast neared her. She cried out in pain as it exploded right I front of her, sending her flying to the ground. She struggled to get up once, then collapsed, exhausted. Even though he knew she wasn't dead, Ichigo immediately regretted his decision. He turned back toward Insane in time to receive her foot in his face, breaking his mask and knocking him to the ground beside Saber. Through blurred vision he was able to notice Steel Wrath laughing from his throne atop the stone mound.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Excellent, Black Rock Shooter! Now, finish them and take your place as champion!" he commanded.

Having retrieved her gun-sword, Insane raised the large weapon to prepare the killing blow. _Get up…get up, dammit! You can't lose now!_ Ichigo thought. He tried to make himself rise, but his body refused to listen to them. He watched helplessly as Insane brought down her gun-sword. He closed his eyes, waiting for the end. About a minute passed, and he was still breathing. Ichigo opened his eyes to find Insane's gun-sword hovering about a foot above his head. Insane was glaring at the floor, her expression showing signs of intense stress.

"What are you waiting for? Finish them!" Steel Wrath called.

"Enough…" said a girl's voice from somewhere.

Ichigo and Saber stared in confusion at the pale girl. The sound seemed to originate from her, yet her lips had not moved out of her angry frown.

"That's enough…" the voice was louder now.

"No way…" Insane said. "Stop, holding, me, back!" she tried to lower her gun-sword onto Ichigo's neck.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, BLACK ROCK SHOOTER!"

A bright light suddenly engulfed Insane, causing the others to shield their eyes. When they were finally able to open them again, they stared in surprise at the scene before them. Insane was on her knees, a black and white sword sticking into her chest and out through her back. Holding the sword was a girl who wore the same outfit BRS had originally worn, except she was shorter, had blue eyes, and had two feather like pigtails sticking out of the top of her short dark hair.

Insane glared at the girl. "Why…why won't you let me take on your pain? Why suffer?" she asked.

The short girl stared at her with sad eyes. "I told you a long time ago, I don't care if I get hurt. I don't want to see you hurt yourself, Black Rock Shooter." she answered.

Insane relaxed her angered expression. "It seems that I still cannot defeat you…you've beaten me again." With that, Insane closed her eyes. The purple flame in her left eye went out, and she slid off the other girl's sword. She landed on the ground with a thud, dead.

The short girl looked over at Ichigo and Saber with concern. "I'm sorry I couldn't break free sooner. Are you guys alright?"

"I-I guess…" they both answered, still confused by what had just happened.

They along with the short girl looked up at Steel Wrath, who was now clapping sarcastically. He did not look pleased.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise? I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be capable of overpowering your other self, especially when it was Black Rock Shooter." he half growled, half complimented.

Ichigo and Saber looked back at the unknown girl. _Other self? Does that mean she's the one Black Rock Shooter fights for?_ They thought.

The unknown girl glared angrily, and pointed her sword at Steel Wrath. "You're the one behind all this! You made me and Black Rock Shooter murder those people! You made us…You made us kill Yomi!" tears formed in her eyes at that last sentence.

"So what if I am?" Steel Wrath answered plainly. "What is someone like you going to do about it?"

The girl grew furious at this. She tightened the grip on her sword. "You made me kill my best friend…for that, I can't forgive you! I'm going to hurt you! I'm going to make you pay! I-I…I HATE YOU!"

To everyone's surprise, Steel Wrath actually seemed taken back by the sudden outburst. After blinking a few times, he regained his composure. In fact, he looked very happy.

"Heh…hehe…hehehAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHA! Now this is truly surprising! You, the one person who is too foolish to hate anyone, no matter how cruel they are, just declared that you hate _me?_ Now that is unusual for you, Mato Kuroi!"

The short girl continued to glare at him, putting both hands on her sword.

"Alright then! Now that you've gone and ruined my little tournament, it seems I'll just have to dispose of all of you!" an enormous battle-ax with gear-shaped axe heads appeared in his hand.

"Hey, you two back there, what are your names?" Mato asked, keeping her gaze fixed on Steel Wrath.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." said Ichigo.

"Servant Saber, you may call me Saber." said Saber.

"Ichigo, Saber, I know you're both injured, but I need your help. I'm not used to fighting, so I can't beat him by myself. Will you give me a hand?"

Ichigo and Saber rose confidently to their feet.

"Of course, I still have a promise to keep." Ichigo declared.

"I cannot rest without having avenged my friend." Saber stated.

Readying their weapons, they now stood side by side with Mato. Steel Wrath grinned insanely at this.

"Come on, then! Let's put an end to this game!" he shouted.

"My thoughts exactly!" Ichigo yelled, rushing toward him.

Steel Wrath easily blocked the strike. He sent Ichigo back to the ground with a smack from his ax. As Ichigo flew past them, Saber and Mato attacked SW from opposite directions. SW blocked Mato's sword with his ax and caught Excalibur with his free hand. With demon like strength, he swung Saber into Mato, sending them both to meet Ichigo at the bottom of the stone mound.

"Ichigo, we agreed to fight together!" Saber reprimanded.

"Sorry, old habits are hard to break. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not."

"Alright, together this time!" Mato stated.

The others nodded in agreement. Moving as one, the three of them advanced on SW. The pale man struggled for a moment as three weapons came at him from multiple angles. He felt himself get cut a few times. Angered, SW let out a fearsome yell, blowing everyone back to the floor. He laughed as they crashed into the floor. The trio quickly got up and charged him again. SW held up his ax in defense as they all attacked from the same direction. To his surprise, only Saber and Mato stood in front of him. He looked around for Ichigo as he shoved the other two back.

"Getsuga…"

SW turned to his side. Ichigo was flying towards him, power already building in his blade.

"…Tensho!"

A black wave of power roared out of his sword towards Steel Wrath, exploding on impact. Ichigo landed on a part of the stone mound just below where SW was standing. As the dust settled, he stared in shock as SW came into view, without so much as a scratch on him. The pale man grinned wickedly at him before slicing downward with his ax. Ichigo blocked the strike, but the force behind it sent him flying backward. He tried to grab one of the many weapons stuck in the mound to keep himself from falling, but the weapon detached from the stone and he fell anyway. Just before he hit the ground, he noticed something strange: when the weapon he grabbed left the stone, Steel Wrath had cringed in pain and nearly stumbled over for a moment. Realization dawned on him as he hit the floor. _That's it!_ He thought.

"Saber! Mato! I think I know how we can beat him!"

"How?" they asked.

"Saber, you should be able to see it. Look closely at the mound."

Saber did as instructed. She soon realized what Ichigo was talking about. "I see, so he draws power from the weapons planted in the mound. No wonder he never leaves it."

"So what you're saying is," Mato began, "that if we destroy the stone mound, we should be able to hurt him?"

"Exactly." Ichigo answered. "But we're gonna need a lot of power to smash it though. I don't think just my Getsugatensho will be enough."

"Then I will use my noble phantasm to help you." Saber stated. (The big fire attack with Excalibur)

"I can't do anything special with this sword…" Mato said, "But I do know one thing that should do the trick. I'm just gonna need a lot of space."

"As will we."

"Let's do it, then." Ichigo proclaimed. The others nodded in agreement.

The trio split up, going to different parts of the arena. Ichigo began to charge Getsugatensho, while Saber powered up Excalibur. Blue fire now burning out of her left eye, Mato held out her hand, and soon a gun of gargantuan proportions started to form. When it was finished, she was holding the trigger of a cannon the size of a two-story house. Steel Wrath braced himself for what was about to come.

"So this is what you were up to. Fine then, give me everything you've got!" Steel Wrath challenged.

"Getsugatensho!" yelled Ichigo.

"Excalibur!" shouted Saber.

"RrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Mato as she pulled the trigger.

Soon a black wave, a golden flame, and a rainbow (yes, rainbow -_-) colored energy blast burst towards Steel Wrath. The pale man summoned all of his power to try and suppress the attacks. He held them at bay for a moment, then felt his power start to leave him as the stone mound was blown apart. No longer able to hold back the intense energy, SW roared in anger as the three attacks collided into a gigantic explosion that engulfed the entire arena. After what seemed like five minutes, the dust finally settled. The three heroes found themselves standing amidst the rubble of what used to be the coliseum. To their horror, Steel Wrath was still standing, although now he was swarming with cuts and bruises and was breathing heavily.

"Did you (pant) think (pant) that would (pant) kill me? (pant)" he wheezed. "It's (pant) still my game. (pant) the rules (pant) haven't changed!"

Meaning a blade was still the only thing that could kill him. Ichigo turned to Saber and Mato.

"Hey," he started, "Let's finish this fucker off."

The others smiled and nodded in agreement. Ichigo burst toward SW, slashing as he drew near. SW weakly blocked the strike, and tried to counter with an exaggerated cut at his midsection. Ichigo merely stepped back to avoid the attack. Then, he swatted the pale man's weapon aside, disarming him before thrusting his sword into the man's torso. SW coughed up a fair amount of blood from this, but Ichigo wasn't finished yet.

"Mato!" he yelled as he kicked SW into the air.

Mato jumped up to meet the pale man with anger in her eyes. "This for Yomi!" she cried as she drove her sword into his chest. "Saber!" she punched him higher into the air.

Saber appeared above SW. "This is for Rex!" she planted Excalibur into his shoulder, then kicked him even higher into the black sky.

Now Ichigo appeared above him, this time with Miroku in his hand. "And this…" he drove the sword downwards, finally piercing SW's heart. "…is for Mikoto."

SW struggled to glare at him before Ichigo yelled, "MIROKU!"

A pair of glowing red eyes appeared on the black sword as power began to surge into it.

"TOSOTSUKEN!" Ichigo yelled.

A skyscraper-sized blade of pure energy erupted from the hilt of the sword, sending Steel Wrath plummeting to the ground as it incinerated him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" he cried as he descended.

Steel Wrath failed to reach the ground before he was completely destroyed by the blade in his heart. The swords that had been planted in him fell to the ground, undamaged by the energy. All that remained of White Steel Wrath was his ax, which was planted on top of the highest pile of the rubble of his coliseum. The tournament was now finally over.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

**The Otherworld**

* * *

"It's finally over." said Ichigo as he retrieved his sword.

"White Steel Wrath is finished." stated Saber.

"But so many died just to get here…." Mato said, her eyes full of sadness.

"I wouldn't worry about that, they're all just fine." spoke a familiar voice.

The trio turned to see a small hooded girl with arms as big as her body sitting on a pile of rubble. She smiled at them with glowing orange eyes.

"Strength?!" the trio said as one.

"I'm glad you all succeeded, I had almost lost hope."

"What did you mean, the people who died are just fine?" asked Mato.

"When you defeated White Steel Wrath and broke the stone containing their weapons, they were released from his power. If you don't believe me, just ask the person standing behind you."

Mato turned around to see a slightly taller girl with green eyes, long black hair, and glasses smiling at her. Tears of joy began to form in her eyes as she ran towards the girl.

"Yomi!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around the girl. Yomi did the same to her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come back sooner. It must have been awful being trapped like that again." Yomi said.

"I thought I lost you for sure."

"Hey, I have an idea: let's go home, you and me."

Mato looked up at the green-eyed girl. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea."

"I'll send you two on your way, then." Strength said.

The two young girls slowly faded away, still holding each other tightly.

"Those two shouldn't be kept apart anymore, they've been through enough." Strength said with a sigh. "Ichigo, anyone you want me to talk to before I send you home?"

"Yeah. Tell Mikoto I kept my promise, and that she should stop by some time."

"I've sent your words to her."

Ichigo turned to Saber and extended his hand. "Well Saber, it's been a pleasure working with you."

"I enjoyed your cooperation as well, Ichigo." she said, shaking his hand.

"Well then, see you later."

"Goodbye, Ichigo." Strength and Saber said.

They waved as he vanished from the world. When he was gone Saber turned toward Strength.

"I also have someone I wish to contact."

"I sent him word of your success just before I arrived. I don't know when he'll get my message, since he is currently on a long journey against darkness."

"If he's in danger, then can you-"

Strength shook her head. "This is a battle Rex must face on his own. He's constantly traveling across worlds, so sending you after him would be pointless."

"Oh….I see…"

"Don't worry, he's heading for your world soon. Why don't you talk with him then? All you have to do is wait."

Saber smiled at this. "Alright, that will work." Then with a glance to the side added, "He better have kept up on his training."

Strength laughed a little. "I'll be sure to tell him that."

Saber nodded. "Alright. Farewell Strength. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

"Maybe we will. Goodbye, Arturia."

"Wait, how did you know my-" Saber vanished before she could finish.

Strength chuckled slightly to herself. She closed her eyes and focused on the worlds that the competitors called home. She smiled as she saw peace in each and every one of them. Satisfied, she opened her eyes. She stared in surprise as something caught her attention. Black Rock Shooter was standing below her.

"Are you here to fight me?" Strength asked.

"No." Rock answered.

Strength gave her a look of confusion.

"Mato is right, I should stop trying to bear all her pain. I don't want to lose myself again."

Strength smiled at the pale girl. She leapt down from where she sat.

"Strength, how do I learn to stop fighting?"

"Why don't you and I take a walk? I'll explain as we go."

For the first time in her life, Strength saw Black Rock Shooter smile. "Yes, a walk sounds nice."

And so the two of them began to walk, no longer enemies, but friends.

As they walked across the vast plains of their world, neither of them noticed the large crack that suddenly appeared in the endless black sky.

* * *

**A/N:** Thus ends my third story. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I look forward to writing again soon. The battle may be won, but the war is far from over. DUN DUN DUN! Lol. Until next time! DarkNovelist out.


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